Top Blog Recipes

28 Jan 2013

GLORIOUS CRAB AND CHORIZO GUMBO

 
 
 
A GENUINE BOWL OF LOVE
 
There is nothing quite like gumbo, In New Orleans they make it with blue swimming crabs which have a soft sweet flavour to them, I have not been able to source them here, yet! so I use Dungeoness crabs as they also have a slight sweet hint to the white meat and claws.  If you don't like fish this dish tastes just as good with chicken and prawns or chicken and sausage.
 
 
INGREDIENTS
(serves 6-8)
 
FOR THE HOLY TRINITY
2 green peppers fine diced
1 large Spanish onion fine diced
3 sticks celery fine chopped
50ml oil
25g butter
3-5 tbsp flour
24 fresh raw shell head on prawns peeled
10 scallops
10 oysters fresh
250g fresh okra chunky sliced
500g fresh cooking chorizo sliced
2 cloves garlic fine chopped
2 dressed or whole crabs white and brown meat
1.5ltr prawn stock (from the shells)
1 tin chopped tomatoes (optional)
 Several shakes of Tabasco
1 lemon juiced
Salt and pepper
1 bunch chopped parsley
4 sprigs thyme chopped
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 fresh bay leaf
2 red chillies find diced (optional)
1 tbsp file powder (USA)
6 ptn cooked rice

 
Pan fry the chorizo until coloured on both sides and all the gorgeous paprika flavoured fat has rendered out into the pan.  Remove the chorizo to one side and add the butter to the pan, once melted add the flour to make a roux, then pop in the bay leaf and on a low heat cook for 10-20 minutes, the time difference is how brown you want to take your roux, I like to cook for 20 minutes to really develop the flavour.

 
It is really worth taking your time over the roux, as this is the heart and soul of the gumbo.  Any French trained chef will be having kittens right now but there is a reason to gently brown off the roux, and that is what any good cook wants, depth of flavour.
 
 
TO MAKE THE FISH STOCK
 
Take all the peeled prawn heads and shells from your raw prawns and place in a large pan with a knob of butter and dash of ooil and the garlic, pan fry until cooked.  The smell is gorgeous, add 2 ltrs of water and bring to a rolling simmer, using the end of a rolling pin bash the prawns releasing all their flavour.  Reduce by one quarter approx and strain and reserve.

 
THE HOLY TRINITY

 
THE HOLY TRINITY
This is the base of all gumbo's and known as the holy trinity.  Pan fry gently in a knob of butter and dash of ooil until soft but not coloured, add the chilli if using.  Add the holy trinity to the roux and stir in well, tip this into a large stock pot and then add the strained prawn stock and stir in well, bring to a simmer, add the tin of tomatoes and okra, bring to a gentle simmer and cook out for 30 minutes.
 
 
FOR THE FINAL STAGE
 
Once the gumbo base has been cooking for approx 30 minutes, add the chorizo and crab meat to the pot after a few minutes add the prawns, scallops and oysters and cook for another 5 minutes, now it is time to adjust the seasoning as this will take the gumbo to that next level. 
 
First add half the lemon juice and several shakes of tabasco, the cayenne and some pepper, then a pinch of salt and a dash of file powder if using, and taste.  To adjust the seasoning I found adding some of the lemon juice, tabasco and salt were what made it sing.
 
To serve place some hot cooked rice in the bottom of your bowl and then ladle over the gumbo. When serving gumbo there is a saying called, Go Fish, which means you get what you get!

 
BIT OF HISTORY
 
This is traditional in New Orleans, the American Indians made File powder from the leaves of the native sassafras tree.  File is used to season finished gumbo's and soups just before serving, File acts as a thickener and adds a delicate light zesty spring earthy tea flavour to what it is sprinkled on.

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