Faux Seafood Gumbo Recipes

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large, heavy saucepan or dutch oven melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until roux is a peanut butter color, about 20 minutes.
• Immediately add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and bay leaves and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 8 minutes. Add stock and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, skim surface, and reduce heat to a simmer. Add crabs and cook for 1 1/2 hours, until thickened and flavorful. If gumbo seems too thick, thin with water or seafood stock.
• Add shrimp and fish and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink and fish is cooked through. Add oysters (with their liquor), parsley, and green onions, and cook until edges of oysters curl, about 5 to7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve in large bowls over hot white rice.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Place shrimp shells and tails in a colander and run under cold water. Drain.
• In a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high. Add shrimp shell mixture, 1/2 cup each onion and celery, and garlic cloves; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until shells are pink and mixture is fragrant, 10 minutes. Add 10 cups water and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until flavors develop and stock has reduced to 8 cups, about 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, whisk together 3/4 cup each vegetable oil and flour to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until roux smells toasted and is the color of butterscotch, about 20 minutes. Set aside. (Make sure to re-whisk roux before using, as it will separate when it cools.)
• In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium. Add remaining 1 cup onion and 1 cup celery, along with the bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce and shrimp stock. Bring to a simmer, then add in your roux, a few spoonfuls at a time, until combined. Taste and re-season if needed. Simmer, partially covered, about 1 hour. Add crab and shrimp and cook, stirring, until shrimp is just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add okra and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened slightly but still crisp and holding its shape, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Serve gumbo with chopped parsley, sauteed okra, rice, and hot sauce.

FUMBO (FAUX-GUMBO)

Steps:

• Saute onion, peppers and celery for 3 minutes.
• Add garlic and sautee 1 more minute.
• Pour in diced tomatoes, chicken broth and potatoes. Stir, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add chicken, rice, cayenne pepper (the amount you use depends on your family's tolerance for spicy food - I usually give about 4 dashes), salt & pepper and sugar.
• Let cook for another 20-30 minutes to bring flavors together. Enjoy!

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• In a heavy Dutch oven, combine flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir about 10 minutes more or until mixture is reddish brown. , Add the onion, celery, green pepper and green onions; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, water, okra, paprika, salt, oregano and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. , Add shrimp and parsley. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until seafood is done. Remove from heat; stir in Cajun seasoning.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine the red, white, and black peppers, paprika, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and salt; set aside.
• In a heavy pot, 5 quart or larger, heat oil over medium heat, warming the pot first. Add onions, celery, and green pepper. Turn heat to high. Stirring frequently, add garlic, file, hot sauce, and the pepper-herb mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add tomato sauce, and stir as it reduces over high heat. Add fish stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• When ready to serve, add shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat. Cover, and wait 5 minutes. Turn off heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve.

FAUX SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
• Discard all but a thin coating of fat from the pan.
• Add the celery, onion, green pepper and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon the vegetables into the cooker and add the broth, tomatoes (with their liquid), Worcestershire, salt and thyme.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 3 1/2 hours or on high for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add the shrimp, crabmeat and okra and cook 1/2 hour longer on low heat or 1/4 hour longer on high.
• Serve with rice.