Featured recipe from Marilu’s table * Seafood gumbo
Since our vacation is taking us to Louisiana, y’all get to enjoy some recipes from that part of the country. Seafood Gumbo is one of Marilu’s recipes from Healthy Holidays. You don’t need to limit eating gumbo to Mardi Gras, though. Enjoy it any time – like now!
Fresh shrimp and crab is available at the fish counter of your grocery store.
Making a roux is a basic cooking skill, and this recipe describes the process so it’s easy. A roux is not usually cooked this long (until it becomes chocolate-colored), but it must be cooked to get the flour taste out of the resulting sauce. Once you’ve mastered the roux, most sauces are easy.
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Seafood Gumbo
Green * Serves 6
1 pound okra
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons soy margarine, melted
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (16 oz) can chopped tomatoes, untrained
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound fresh crabmeat
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the okra in 2 Tablespoons of the soy margarine until the okra is lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup margarine and the flour in a large iron skillet. Make a roux by cooking it over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is the color of chocolate, about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the green onions, celery, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes.
In a large Dutch oven, combine the roux, okra, tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, salt, red pepper, and 2 quarts water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until it thickens. Add the shrimp and crabmeat and simmer 10 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf and serve.
