Gumbo with picture's

[KOJO 96]

OK, cooked it last nite, so here you go ! You need to prep ALL the ingredient's ahead of time,before you start, once you start, time can be a killer, especially with the roux !!

Start with a kilo of fresh shrimp, 20-25 count, break off the heads and tail shells, and put in a lg. pan of with 10 cups of water, boil down to half, strain out the shells and save the liquid, this is going to be the base of the gumbo. Pour the water in another pan/bowl and save.

BEER BREAK

Using the same pan on low heat melt down 1/4 cup of butter , then add 1/4 cup of flour, a little at a time, stirring constantly, to keep from sticking to the pot or burning. This is the ROUX, "THE MOST" important part of the recipe !! I use a flat ended wooden spoon, to make sure I scrape the entire bottom clean, a regular spoon won't work.

Keep stirring, you want it to turn a chocolate brown, BUT DONT BURN IT, you'll know if it's burnt, you will smell it, everyone knows when they smell something burnt, think of toast burnt smell, if it happens, scrap it and start over, with lower heat. You will taste the burnt flavor at the end, so don't cut a corner here, trust me. This takes appox. 10-15 minutes of constant stirring, low and slow.

I should of taken a couple more pictures of the final result, as it got darker by the minute, but you get the idea. Add a can of chicken stock or one bullion cube in a cup of hot water, dissolved, and slowly stir it together, until the flour mixture has dissolved

BEER BREAK

Add 5 stalks of sliced celery, 1 onion diced, 2 cups of sliced okra, 6 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 lb. of sliced andouille sausage, which they don't sell here, however Foodland has a Paprika sausage, that I have used before that is as close as you can get, it's a good substitute for pepperoni too, if your makin a pizza. Peel off the cloth casing, that taste like crap !! HA! HA!

Now add the water you saved from the shrimp boil, and stir all of it together, on med. low heat, and let simmer until the celery and okra are semi soft, you don't want them to be crunchy, this takes appox. 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.

BEER BREAK

Add 1 lg can of chopped whole peeled tomato's

 

I had a can of clams sittin on the shelf , so I threw them in the pool too.

Add the juice of 1 lime, no seeds

Let simmer for 10 minutes

BEER BREAK

Then add the spice's, 2 tblsp. parsley, if you don't have fresh, use 3 tblsp. of dried, 2 tblsp. of ground basil leaves, 2 tblsp. of cayenne powder, some Tobasco sauce, to taste, 1/4 cup Worestershire sauce, 2 tblsp. of Old Bay seasoning, and salt n pepper to taste as it cooks. You don't want to add these earlier, and the flavor will die, from being overcooked, Same with the shrimp, it takes 5 minutes to cook the shrimp, and if you add it early, it will be hard, (not soft and succulent, like my wifey) HA! HA! Let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes, so all the flavors marry together.

BEER BREAK

Cut the shrimp in half,bite size piece's

Let cook for 4-5 minutes, until shrimp is pink, it will continue cooking in the hot broth, after you turn off the stove, til you spoon it out to eat, so not long, just gettin pink.

BEER BREAK

I suppose I should of said to start your rice and fire up the oven to cook the french bread earlier, but the BEER BREAKS add up !! Anyway, split the loaf and butter it, add garlic salt, and broil til golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Next add a scope of rice in your bowl

Then add the gumbo over it. DONE !!

Start dippin the bread in and chow down !!

Many BEER'S !!!

 

 

DAMMMMMN, not sure why the last 2 picture's ended up out of sequence at the end ?

 

HA! HA! HA!

 

 

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

That looks so HOTTTTTTTTTTT! No wonder so many Heinies.

[Fornicator 106]

What time is Diner? I"ll bring a case of Heinekens!!!! I love gumbo!!

[ajsp9 18]

Fantastic journey , loooks lovely very

[js007 795]

Drinking and cooking. Sometimes I don't do so well trying that, as I tend to drink too much and pretty soon the entire kitchen is a mess and I'm still not done. Fun, though.