Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

[Bear]

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
This is a good starter recipe for seafood and sausage gumbo; it also works with chicken instead of the shrimp and is it especially good with a couple of cups (or more) of fresh Dungeness crab. Use your imagination; I’ve made it with fresh chopped razor clams and even steamers. I’ve even been known to put in a cup or so of kippered salmon.

Before starting, assemble all the ingredients and familiarize yourself with the recipe. If you do not know how to make a roux, look here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5574117_make-cajun-roux.html


Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter and ¼ cup vegetable oil.
¾ cup all purpose flour
2 -3 celery stalks, chopped
3 large onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on taste)
5 (8 oz.) bottles clam juice
3 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes*
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Trappey’s canned cut okra. * or use 5 cans Trappey’s canned cut okra with tomatoes and omit dice tomatoes and canned okra
2 pounds Smoked Andouille sausage, cut lengthwise then slice into ½ inch thick pieces
2 pounds large shrimp, uncooked, peeled and deveined (frozen okay but fresh is better especially fresh Hood Canal shrimp)
2 cups (or more) of fresh Dungeness crab (optional)
3 Fresh tomatoes, diced (optional)
1 pound long-grain rice, cooked

Directions:
Brown the sausage, pour off fat and set aside.
Heat oil/butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or other heavy deep pot, add flour a little at a time and make a medium to dark roux; be careful not to burn. When desired color is reached, stir in celery, onions and bell peppers all at once. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add clam juice, canned tomatoes/okra, sausage, bay leaves, salt, oregano and cayenne. Bring to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Gumbo is always better the second day so I refrigerate it over night to give the flavors a chance to meld.

The next day, slowly bring gumbo just to a boil and then add shrimp (crab, clams) and simmer until shrimp are just cooked (about 2-3 minutes). Ladle over cooked rice and top with fresh tomatoes (optional).

My family actually likes the rice mixed in with the gumbo and doesn’t care for the fresh tomatoes so I add the rice just before serving and omit the tomatoes.

There are only a couple of places around this area that make a really high quality Cajun style Andouille sausage. I buy mine at B&E Meats in Des Moines or Burien.

[Eli]

Sounds really good goon try this out this weekend