This delightful Seafood Gumbo is full of shrimp and crab and it has a nice spicy kick. There’s nothing like a warm bowl of gumbo, and I especially like a seafood gumbo. Making a big pot of gumbo is a little labor intensive, but it lasts for days and only gets better with time. It’s perfect for a lazy afternoon spent at home. Build a nice fire in the fireplace and put your biggest pot on the stove.
INGREDIENTS
°12 qty live blue crabs
°16 ounces crabmeat in large chunks
°2 lbs jumbo shrimp
°2 cans of peeled plum tomatoes (large cans)
°4 cups of chicken broth
°1 cup water (if needed)
°1 quantity of onion
°1 cup vegetable oil
°1 cup Bisquick
°2 bags frozen cut okra (16 oz total)
°2 bay leaves
°1-2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
°1 teaspoon cayenne
°1 t salt (or to taste)
°1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
Assemble all the ingredients.
Slice the onion and shell the prawns.
Heat 1T of olive oil in a fry pan & adding all shrimp shells (heads included) plus 2 bay leaves. Brown 3-4min, then add the broth. Lower the heat and simmer while you prepare the crabs.
While the seafood broth simmers, boil the live crabs for 3-5 minutes, then drain.
Cool and clean all the crabs by removing the large claws (save for later), top shell, gills and bottom flap (apron).
Toss in a can of tomatoes and set aside. Stir the seafood broth and press the shells to extract the juice, then strain and save the broth only for the okra (remove the shells). The tomato sauce and broth should be ready to pour quickly when the roux is ready.
In a large saucepan, add the bisquick and oil to make the roux. Stir continuously until the roux looks like dark chocolate. It will take about 20-30 min. Add the onions at this point when the roux turns dark brown.
Add broth, contents of blender, okra and crab to roux. Hand squeeze the remaining can of tomatoes into the pot with the juice. Seasoning with salt, pepper & your favorite Cajun seasoning. Cook over low heat for 20-30min. Add water if necessary.
Add seasoned shrimp and giant crabmeat for the last 5-10 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve hot with rice (if desired). Add parsley for garnish.
Enjoy!
