Cullen's Seafood Gumbo
1 cup Vegetable oil
1 cup All-purpose flour
2 cup Chopped onions
1 cup Chopped celery
1/4 cup Diced garlic
1/2 lb Sliced andouille sausage 1 pound claw crab meat
3 qt Shellfish stock
2 cup Sliced green onions
1/2 cup Chopped parsley
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 dsh Louisiana Gold or other pepper sauce
1 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb Lump crab meat
2 doz shucked oysters, (reserve liquor)
Method :
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Louisianans buy more iron cookware than anyone, according to the Lodge foundry,
and Folse, chef-proprietor of Lafitte's Landing restaurant near Baton Rouge,
probably owns more than anyone else in Louisiana. He has a collection of 1,000
pieces, some dating to the 1700s, and has been known to stroll among customers
telling them stories about the pots and pans he used to cook their dinner.
So Folse was a natural choice to put together the cast-iron cookbook Lodge is
publishing this year in celebration of its 100th anniversary. Here's his recipe
for gumbo - cooked in iron, naturally.
In a 7-quart cast-iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is
hot, add flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until brown roux is
achieved, about 10 minutes. Do not allow roux to scorch. Should black specks
appear in roux, discard and begin again.
Once roux is golden brown, add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic.
Saut=C0e 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add Andouille, blend
well into vegetable mixture and saut=C0e an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add claw
crab meat and stir into roux. This will begin to add seafood flavor to the
mixture.
Slowly add hot shellfish stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until
all is incorporated. Bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook about 30
minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Add additional stock if necessary
to retain volume.
Add green onions and parsley and season to taste using salt, pepper and pepper
sauce. Fold shrimp, lump crab meat, oysters and reserved oyster liquor into
soup. Return to a low boil and cook about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve
over hot cooked rice.