Seafood Gumbo

"The original version of this recipe was published about 25-30 years ago in "Sonde Off", Schlumbrger Well Service's employee magazine and was submitted to the magazine by an employee who was Cajun."
 
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Ready In:
2hrs 15mins
Ingredients:
15
Serves:
6-8
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ingredients

  • 12 cup lard
  • 12 cup flour
  • 2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 -2 large onion, chopped
  • 1 -2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 3 quarts water or 3 quarts broth
  • 8 ounces claw crabmeat, picked over for shell and catilage pieces (fresh or frozen)
  • 3 -4 whole crabs, cleaned and halved
  • 1 -2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined if desired (or left in shell, head-on, for more flavor)
  • 1 pint oyster, drained with liquid reserved
  • 12 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • cayenne pepper
  • hot cooked rice, as accompaniment
  • file powder, for passing (optional)
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directions

  • Make roux of melted lard and flour in heavy iron pot over medium-low heat.
  • Cook slowly, stirring often, until peanut-butter brown.
  • Be careful not to let it burn; if it does, throw it out and start over.
  • Add onion, garlic, and green pepper, and stir in to cool the roux.
  • Slowly stir in water or broth, and add salt, pepper and cayenne generously to taste (season well).
  • Add fresh claw crabmeat and cleaned whole crabs, and cook for about 1 hour.
  • Add shrimp and liquid from oysters, and cook about 5 minutes.
  • Add parsley, green onions, and oysters about 15 minutes before serving, and continue to cook over low heat stirring occasionally.
  • Serve over rice, with file on the side.
  • Can be frozen before adding oysters.
  • Thaw, heat, and add oysters 15 minutes before serving.

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Reviews

  1. This is the "real deal". No yuppy additions or tweaks. Perfect.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I WAS retired oilfield trash since 1999, who has lived in Houston TX for the last 25 years, though I'm originally from California. I'm Texan by choice, not by chance! I am now working in Algeria 6 months a year, so I guess that gives new meaning to the term SEMI-retired. I grew up in restaurants and worked in them for 13 years while getting through high school and college, working as everything from dishwasher to chef, including just about everything in between. At odd intervals I also waited tables and tended bar, which gave me lots of incentive to stay in school and get my engineering degree. During the 33 years since, I have only cooked for pleasure, and it HAS given me a great deal of pleasure. It's been my passion. I love to cook, actually more than I love to eat. I read cookbooks like most people read novels. My wife and I both enjoy cooking, though she isn't quite as adventurous as I am. I keep pushing her in that direction, and she's slowly getting there. We rarely go out to eat, because there are very few restaurants that can serve food as good as we can make at home. When we do go out, it's normally because we are having an emergency junk-food attack. My pet food peeves are (I won't get into other areas): are people who post recipes that they have obviously NEVER fixed; obvious because the recipe can't be made because of bad instructions, or that are obvious because it tastes horrible. I also detest people who don't indicate that a recipe is untried, even when it is a good recipe. Caveat emptor!
 
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