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Poppy Tooker’s Seafood Gumbo

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, shells and tails reserved
1 onion, chopped, skin and trimmings reserved
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds okra, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 green bell pepper, cut into medium dice
3 celery stalks, cut into medium dice
4 gumbo crabs (see Sources, page 269), cleaned, halved if small, quartered if large
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch green onions (white and green parts), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Cooked white rice, hot, for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the shrimp shells and tails in a saucepan. Add the onion skin and trimmings and 12 cups cold water. Boil over high heat for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve. You will need about 8 cups stock.

    Step 2

    Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the okra and fry until very lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

    Step 3

    Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 1 cup oil. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the color of milk chocolate, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until the roux darkens to a bittersweet-chocolate brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the bell pepper and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

    Step 4

    Stir in the 8 cups shrimp stock. Then add the fried okra, gumbo crabs, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 45 minutes.

    Step 5

    Add the shrimp and green onions, and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve on top of cooked rice.

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