Oyster And Sausage Gumbo Recipes

DUCK, OYSTER, AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

Steps:

• In a 2-gallon stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until roux is golden brown, being careful not to scorch. Should black specks appear, discard and begin again.
• Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are wilted. Add duck and andouille sausage, blending into vegetable mixture. Add oyster liquid and chicken stock, 1 ladle at a time. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook approximately 2 hours. When duck is tender, add oysters, and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add green onions and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and pepper sauce. Serve over steamed white rice.

OYSTER AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Make seasoning mix: Grind bay leaves and mix with remaining spices and herbs.
• In a heavy 7- to 8-quart pot or kettle melt butter over low heat. Add onions, green pepper, celery, garlic, parsley, Tasso and pork and brown over low heat, stirring constantly, 15 minutes. Add sausage and seasoning mix, mix thoroughly and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. Add rice, raise heat to medium and cook 5 minutes, or until rice is lightly browned, stirring and scraping sides and bottom of pot. Add tomatoes, stock and oysters and mix gently. Raise heat to high, bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and cook 40 minutes, stirring gently every 5 to 10 minutes. If too dry, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water after about 30 minutes. Uncover pot, raise heat to medium and allow rice to dry out, about 10 minutes without stirring. Stir very gently, so as not to break up oysters and serve immediately.

SHRIMP AND OYSTER GUMBO WITH OKRA

Steps:

• To make the shrimp stock: Peel the shrimp, and toss the heads and shells into a large stock pot; refrigerate the peeled shrimp until ready to cook in the gumbo. Add the crab, onion, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne, Old Bay, and lemons to the pot. Cover with 2 1/2 quarts of cold water. Allow the liquid to slowly come to a boil, and then lower the heat. Gently simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered, skimming any foam that rises to the top. Strain the stock into a heatproof container or another pot to remove the chunky solids; at this point you should have about 2 quarts of flavorful broth to use in the gumbo. Cool until needed.
• To make the gumbo, you must start with a roux base: Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps - it may lock-up like cake frosting but just keep stirring through it. Cook the roux until it's the color of a walnut and smells equally as nutty, this should take about 15 minutes.
• Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and okra (if it ain't got okra, it ain't gumbo!); season with salt, cayenne, and Old Bay. Mix in the tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft. Pour in the cooled shrimp stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gumbo is dark and thick. Toss in the shrimp and oysters, cook about another 15 minutes; adjust seasoning.
• To serve: Ladle the gumbo into shallow bowls and pile some rice in the center. Sprinkle the parsley and green onions over the top. Pass the French bread and hot sauce at the table.

CREOLE SAUSAGE, SHRIMP, AND OYSTER GUMBO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss together the okra, vinegar, and salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté until well wilted but not browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne, and tomatoes. Add the broth, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a brisk simmer and cook for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
• While the broth simmers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the sausage balls on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. As each batch is finished, transfer the balls to the simmering broth mixture.
• When all the balls have been added, rinse the okra and add it to the pot. Continue simmering for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and the oysters and their liquor, cover the pot, and remove from the heat. Let stand until the shrimp are barely pink and the oysters are slightly plump, about 5 minutes.
• Serve right away, accompanied with the corn bread.

CHICKEN, ANDOUILLE, AND OYSTER GUMBO

Steps:

• Season the hen generously with salt and cayenne pepper.
• Combine the oil and flour in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly, make a roux the color of chocolate. (When I attempted to make my first roux years ago, I remember calling Papa and asking him how long it would take, and he told me "the time it takes to drink two beers." Not being a beer drinker, I had to come up with my own system. I now put on two record albums, and when they have played out my roux is usually just about right.)
• Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery, and cook, stirring, until they are soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth. (I usually warm it up in a pot just a bit before adding it to the roux mixture.) Stir to blend, and bring to a gentle boil.
• Add the chicken. (There are those who will tell you to brown the chicken first, but I put it in raw.) Add the bay leaves and thyme, and cook at a gentle boil for 1 hour.
• Add the andouille and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is very tender, an hour to an hour and a half longer.
• A few minutes before serving, add the oysters and simmer just until the oysters curl, about three minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. (If the gumbo becomes too thick during cooking, simply add more chicken broth or water.)

OYSTER AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large pot over high heat, add the oil. When the pan is smoking hot, add the shallots, celery, and bell peppers, saute for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the tomatoes and garlic, saute for about 4 minutes.
• Stir in the stock, and add hot sauce, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Bring the liquid up to a boil, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, continue simmering for 15 minutes.
• While the stock is simmering, break the sausage into small pieces and cook in a separate pan until browned.
• Skim the impurities from the top of the gumbo, turn the heat to high, and cook for five minutes. Fold in the oysters and sausage, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add water, increasing or decreasing to achieve desired consistency. Remove from the heat. Remove bay leaves and discard.
• To assemble, ladle the gumbo into a bowl and top with rice.