Jims Famous 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:

• To make a roux, heat oil, add flour and cook over medium heat until VERY dark but not scorched, stirring constantly. If using butter, be very careful because it burns easily. Set aside.
• In large dutch oven, saute onion, celery, and okra until limp.
• Add roux, broth, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, crab boil packet, and salt and pepper. (NOTE: If you can't find Crab Boil at your grocery, please refer to recipe # 3252 by Candie Yoder or # 34801 by Miller)
• Simmer for 2 hours.
• 10 minutes before serving, add all raw fish and seafood and the file powder.
• Simmer until done, but do not boil.
• Serve over bowls of rice.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Make the spice mix: Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons to add to the gumbo and reserve the rest for another use in an airtight container.
• Make the gumbo: In a heavy 4- to 5-quart pot, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Once the butter begins to bubble slightly, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to form a smooth paste.
• Cook the mixture, stirring continuously, for 10 to 13 minutes to make a chocolate-colored roux. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to avoid burning. It is important to keep a very close eye on the roux during this step. The roux can go from a nutty color and aroma to burnt beyond repair in a matter of minutes. Lower the heat as needed.
• Immediately add the onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper and tomatoes and stir well. The vegetables will stop the roux from overcooking and burning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to stick to the pan, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the dried shrimp, if using, tomato paste and 2 tablespoons spice mix and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
• While whisking, slowly add the stock and whisk until the stock is completely blended with the roux and vegetable mixture. Add the okra, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce and let simmer for 50 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the lobster, crab, scallops and shrimp and simmer just until cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
• Season the gumbo to taste with salt and pepper and serve over rice.

CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• TO MAKE STOCK: boil the shrimp peelings and heads for approximately 2 hours.
• Start with plenty of water because you need to end up with enough for 10 cups.
• Make roux.
• This is done by browning flour and lard/oil stirring frequently until DARK brown.
• Add chopped vegetables and sauté.
• Pour 10 cups of stock (hot) in separate large pot and add roux slowly, stirring often until well blended.
• Add bay leaves and seasonings and peeled tomatoes.
• Sauté okra then add to pot (until no longer stringy).
• Add sausages to pot.
• Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes.
• Add shrimp, crab and oysters.
• Turn fire up.
• Cook 5 minutes and stir often.
• Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

JIM'S FAMOUS SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Thaw shrimp and crab if not using fresh.
• In large saucepan, combine flour and oil.
• Cook at medium low heat stirring for 30-40 minutes until dark red-brown.
• Add onions, peppers, celery, broth, ham hock, tomato sauce, undrained tomatoes, parsley, worcestershire sauce, pickapeppa, oregano, bay leaves, paprika, garlic powder and Tabasco.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Remove ham hock, cut off meat.
• Chop meat and return to pan.
• Skim off any fat.
• Add oysters, shrimp and crab.
• Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
• Add okra, cook 5 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove bay leaves.
• Add file powder.