Gumbo Style Crab Soup With Okra And Tomatoes Recipes

OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion, and green bell pepper, and saute until tender. Stir in okra, mushrooms, diced tomatoes and their liquid, tomato paste, file powder, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stirring constantly, add flour, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until a golden brown roux has formed.
• Spoon the roux into the okra mixture, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened.

OKRA AND TOMATOES (A.K.A. OKRA GUMBO)

Steps:

• Fry bacon in a large skillet that can be covered, until crisp. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Saute onion in bacon drippings until tender. Add okra and tomatoes, stir to blend. Cover, reduce to low heat. Cook for about an hour, or until okra is tender, stirring occasionally. Do not stir too much or too briskly, because the okra will fall apart. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• **Note: Nanny diced the bacon and fried it and the onion together. My family doesn't like the bacon cooked into it because the bacon becomes soft. If you do it my way, you can sprinkle the bacon on right before serving.

GUMBO-STYLE CRAB SOUP WITH OKRA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme and crushed pepper.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine and boil over moderately high heat until reduced to a syrup, about 1 minute.
• Add the tomato juices and bay leaves and boil until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
• Add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Add the okra, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring a few times, until browned, about 4 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.
• Stir the okra and tomatoes into the soup and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes longer; discard the bay leaves.
• Add the crabmeat to the soup and simmer until just heated through.
• Stir in the basil and season with salt, pepper and Tabasco.
• Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and serve.
• Serve with a light, spicy pinot grigio along with some hot homemade bread or biscuits.
• Enjoy!

CRAB AND SHRIMP GUMBO WITH OKRA

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil just begins to bubble. Whisk in the flour to form a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the flour is very dark brown and the color of melted chocolate, about 45 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and add okra, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent and veggies are cooked, 6 to 8 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, cover, and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add okra and cook, stirring constantly, until tender and no longer stringy or slimy, about 10 minutes. Add to simmering roux mixture and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add 6 cups water plus file powder, Creole seasoning, salt, pepper, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook, uncovered, tasting a few times as it cooks to adjust spices and adding more water if necessary, until gumbo is as thick as you would like, at least 2 to 3 hours. The longer it cooks, the better.
• Stir in shrimp and crabmeat; cook for 15 more minutes. Ladle gumbo over hot rice in serving bowls.