It is very nearly that time of year. Late summer, early fall, or hell......anytime...GUMBO WEATHER! There are so many different types, so I am trying something new. Barb is not a fan of any type of greens (mustard, collard, turnip), but I am incorporating collards and cooking them down with the blend of other ingredients in the hope it may tickle her taste buds. I even had some leftover Cudighi so I added that as well. Roux here is always the crucial ingredient. The best Cajun cooks make theirs from scratch, but I cheat sometimes using Tony's Dry Roux mix, which is quite good.
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 pounds chopped crab meat
1 can collard greens or fresh
1-pound frozen cut okra
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 pound (16 ounces) whole canned tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 quarts shrimp stock or chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp Creole seasoning blend
Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In small skillet make a medium (peanut-butter-colored) roux of 2 tablespoons oil and flour. You can substitute Tony's Dry Roux if you wish. Add onions, bell pepper and celery and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In 4-quart stockpot, cook okra over medium heat in remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, for about 10 minutes. Chop and add.
Add collards and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Add roux-vegetable mixture, tomatoes, garlic, red pepper sauce, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add shrimp and crab, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Serve with cornbread, this is the law in many southern states.
"Blues is like the roux in a gumbo. People ask me if jazz always has the blues in it. I say, if it sounds good it does"
Wynton Marsalas
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