Big Daddys Louisiana Gumbo Recipes

BIG DADDY'S SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by melting the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat and gradually sprinkling in the flour and immediately start stirring constantly until it reaches a nice golden brown color. This may take 10- 20 minutes. Remove from heat and continue stirring until cool. If black specks appear it is burned and you will have to start over.
• Add onions, celery and peppers and roux to a large pot over medium heat and saute until the vegetables are tender.
• Add in water, rice, tomatoes, okras, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add fish, raw shrimp and crawfish.
• Add more seasonings if needed.
• Continue cooking for an additional 10 - 20 minutes.
• Add the mussels and simmer an additional 5 minutes, once the mussels open, they are ready.
• The longer this cooks the better it tastes.

MY LOUISIANA GRANDMOTHER'S GUMBO (MY VERSION)

Steps:

• Take a thigh/leg portion and separate the drumstick from the thigh.
• Skin all or half of the chicken pieces.
• Broil off the chicken and sausage until well-browned.
• Cut the sausages into 1/2" slices.
• Add olive oil and butter to a 5 to 6 quart pot on low heat.
• Add 1/3 c flour, the cayenne, nutmeg and wisk gently and quickly until it begins to thicken.
• Add enough juice from the tomatoes to stop the thickening and add the chicken and sausage pieces to the pot.
• Add all the tomatoes, the okra and the rough cut onions .
• Use the tomato can to add water to the pot to just cover the contents of the pot and bring to a boil.
• Using a wooden or plastic spoon that reaches the bottom of the pot and gently loosen any flour which begins to stick to the bottom.
• Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is almost falling off the bone.
• Adjust seasonings to taste and stir occasionally.
• Serve in big bowls and top with boiled rice.
• NOTE: SMALL BONE FRAGMENTS will be present so take care to screen each mouthful before chewing! Nice to have bread plates or saucers for each guest so that they can discard any bones.
• Great with a crispy warm, buttered baguette or garlic bread.
• VARIATIONS:.
• You can pull the chicken off the bone after broiling and cooling and add to the simmering pot until fully cooked and tender.
• We frequently add shelled, jumbo deveined shrimp to the ingredient list.
• Would translate to a slow-cooker easily if you don't require the meats to be broiled first.

AMERICAN KITCHEN CLASSIC LOUISIANA GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add sausage and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage browns. Remove sausage from pan; set aside.
• Add chicken to pan; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned (bottom of pan will be brown). Remove from pan; set aside.
• Add butter to pan; when melted, stir in flour and cook 10 minutes or until mixture is golden brown and nutty in aroma, stirring constantly. If it burns even slightly, throw it out and start over again.
• Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to pan; stir to combine. Add broth and undrained tomatoes; bring mixture to a boil.
• Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and red pepper. Add shrimp and okra to pan; cook 5 to 7 minutes more or until shrimp are pink and okra is warmed through.
• Return chicken and sausage to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. Remove from heat; stir in file powder just before serving. Serve over rice, if desired.