CRAB GUMBO

Justin’s Mom won a gumbo contest the first year they moved to Freeport, beating out all the old timers who had lived there and made gumbo all their lives. As usual she didn’t have a recipe. I sat and watched her make it many times over the years and took notes, estimating amounts she used. I have tweaked it a bit over the years, and I made it for Justin and Joni’s 54th birthday. Hoping to put it on the blog, I made careful notes of amounts I used. I generally double her recipe so that we have leftovers since it is so time-consuming to make, which is what is listed below. If you are making it for a small crowd you can cut it in half, like Granny always did. JT said it was the best I’ve ever made so here it is. I will admit though that it never turns out the same so good luck.

10 – 12 whole blue crabs (if small, fewer if large) -- legs cut off, everything cleaned out except the shell and meat and scrubbed clean
2 cans diced Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 t. salt
2 TB dried oregano
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or seafood bouillon if you can find it)
20 oz. frozen okra (or about 1 lb. fresh)
XL onion, diced
3 XL cloves garlic, diced
6 TB Crisco shortening
2 sticks butter
6 very heaping TB flour
2 TB Gumbo File
3 TB Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic seasoning
1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked to remove stray shells
2 lbs. Tilapia, cut into ½” cubes
2-1/2 lbs. Medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and sliced lengthwise into 2 pieces

In a heavy large soup pot, put the crabs, 1 gallon (16 c.) water, Rotel and diced tomatoes, salt, and oregano. Bring to a boil and stir in the bouillon cubes. Let this continue to boil.

In a black skillet melt the Crisco. Add the onions, garlic, and okra and stir until real mushy, mashing the okra with your spoon while it is cooking. Add this to the crab mixture and stir.

In the same skillet where you cooked the okra, make the roux (pronounced rue). This is the tricky part of the process, but it is critical to the flavor of your gumbo. Since we are doubling the recipe I make the roux in two batches rather than one – I’m afraid to try it, and the ingredients are too expensive and the recipe is too time-consuming to take a chance. Anyway, in your black skillet melt 1 stick of the butter on medium heat. Slowly stir in 3 VERY heaping TB flour and continue stirring until it turns a dark caramel color, about 10 minutes. Some people prefer a black roux, but it will burn or scorch easily, and we like it better with a roux that is the color of a caramel, only a shade or two darker. If you stop too soon, when it is just turning the caramel color, you won’t get all the flavor you need from the roux. Like I said, this is the tricky part. You will just have to experiment until you get it right – it has taken me many years for JT to say I finally got it right! When you like the color, pour it into the gumbo being careful not to burn yourself because the gumbo will bubble like crazy when you add the hot roux to it. Do the same process to make the second batch of roux with the other stick of butter and 3 more very heaping TB of flour. Add it to the gumbo and stir well. Add the Gumbo File and Seafood Magic; stir well. Cover and turn the burner down to low, so the gumbo is simmering slowly. Cook at least 4 hours or longer, until it cooks down and thickens.

Add the crabmeat, fish, and shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t overcook the seafood or it will get tough quickly. Turn the burner off and leave the lid on and let it rest on the stove a while before serving – preferably at least an hour.

Serve over white rice with extra Gumbo File for those who want to add it to their bowl. We generally just serve it with saltine crackers.