christmas eve gumbo

How To Make christmas eve gumbo

• 1

  Prepare your roux. Do this by adding all the oil/lard/bacon grease ( whichever you have chosen) to a large iron skillet. Bring to heat on medium high. You will know it's ready for your flour when you flick a drop of water in the oil and it sizzles merrily and you can see bubbles in the oil. Add your flour and using ONLY a metal whisk mix the oil and flour together in the skillet. Whisking briskly the flour should begin to cook. Reduce burner temp to low, and NEVER leave your roux unattended ! Continue to whisk the roux constantly from all sides and bottom, and watch it turn color. You are looking for a chocolate brown. When this has been achieved, remove the skillet from the burner and place where it can continue to be stirred while it cools. Iron conducts heat extremely well, so while it cools you must continue to stir or it will burn on the bottom, and burned roux is worthless. Once you see it is cool enough to not require stirring, you may just allow it to cool by itself.
• 2

  Bring your stock to a boil. Add celery, green and sweet onion, bell pepper, and okra to your stock. Bring back to a boil, then reduce to a simmering boil. Cook until the vegetables become soft but not yet fall apart. Add liquid crab boil, hot sauce, and other spices. Stir to combine well, and add the SAUSAGE only, to the pot. This is where you start tasting. I do not recommend adding additional spices until everything has been added to the pot.
• 3

  Gumbo should be like a stew. It should not have a soupy, but a thickened, broth. At this point, roux should be cool enough to add. Much oil should have come to the top. Using a spoon, float off and discard the oil that you are able to. Add your roux to your gumbo and stir to combine, always bottom to top and sides as well. The roux may sizzle when added, that's fine ! If it doesn't, that's fine too !
• 4

  Using rinsed and picked through, strained crab meat (please, if you use from a can, make sure to rinse and strain the crab meat!) add crab meat to pot and stir well. Allow to cook about 10-20 min. Add your shrimp ( which also should have been rinsed and strained after shelling) to the pot. The shrimp will cook super quickly which is why to add last, and you will see a color change to pink.
• 5

  Taste !!!!!! More salt ? More pepper ? Maybe some Cayenne for the brave ?????? keep at a low simmer and season until it suits you.
• 6

  Ladle gumbo into bowl. Place a scoop of Jasmine rice on top and sprinkle sliced green onion on top, shake on some pepper sauce and VOILA !! Christmas Eve Gumbo!
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