Does anyone have a recipe for milk based seafood gumbo?
30 years ago I lived in Houston and there was club there called the Men’s Club. I ate there at lunch every Friday because they served a gumbo made with white sauce instead of the Cajun roux base. I loved it. Does anyone have a clue as to how I can get that or another white sauce based seafood gumbo? I think today the place in Houston called the Men’s Club is a strip joint. It wasn’t when I was there.
Seafood Gumbo
This gumbo uses a very small amount of roux, so that it remains light. You may omit the okra if you like, and thicken the gumbo with filé powder instead — it’ll still be good, but will have a quite different flavor.
Ingredients
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
2 medium onions, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 ribs celery, finely diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes (or 8 Roma tomatoes), seeded and diced (if you like tomatoes in your gumbo)
1 cup tomato purée (see above)
2 pounds okra, chopped
4 quarts shrimp stock, crab stock or fish stock
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning blend
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 dozen oysters, freshly shucked, liquor reserved
4 blue crabs, cleaned (optional)
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 tablespoon filé powder (if okra isn’t used)
8 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Method
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until a light brown roux is formed, then add the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes and tomato purée, if you wish, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. (I know I sound like a broken record, but I’m not one of those people who likes tomatoes in my gumbo, but lots of people do. Your mileage may vary.)
Add the seasonings, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add the okra, and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 30 minutes.
(If you wish a more rustic gumbo, you may add whole blue crabs. Remove the hard top shell from the crabs (reserving for stuffed crabs or for shellfish stock), and break each crab in two down the middle. Remove the claws. Add to the stock.) With the gumbo on very low heat, add the shrimp 10 minutes before serving, the oysters and oyster liquor 5 minutes before serving, and the crabmeat just before serving (don’t cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is heated through). Taste and correct seasonings.
If you don’t like okra, or if you just prefer to make a filé gumbo, remove from heat and sprinkle the filé powder on the surface of the gumbo, then cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Then uncover and stir to mix. Be careful if there are leftovers — filé doesn’t reheat all that well, and you must be careful to reheat gently. If the gumbo comes back to a boil after the filé has been added, it will get stringy.
Place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of rice in each bowl and ladle the gumbo over and around it. Serve with plenty of french bread and good beer or white wine.
YIELD: About 10-12 entrée servings or 20-24 appetizer servings (omit hard shell crabs if serving cups of gumbo as an appetizer).
Has anyone ever made REAL cajun/ creole food?
Can you give me an awesome recipe for a theme luncheon we have coming up… I need a really good recipe – preferably one that you have tried and liked before…
I am from New Orleans and these are some of the easier creole recipes you can make. Enjoy them.
CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO
4 pounds chicken
10 cups chicken broth
1 cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon thyme
1 cup flour
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pint drained oysters (optional)
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 Tablespoons green onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped
Season the chicken with garlic salt and red pepper. Set aside. In a large pot, make a dark roux by combining flour and oil, stirring constantly. Add bell pepper, onion and celery to the roux and cook until soft (5-6 minutes). Add chicken broth and chicken pieces. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, stir in thyme and cook for 1 hour. Add sausage and cook for another hour until chicken tender. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add green onion and parsley. Stir well. Add oysters if you choose to add them (Actually, I usually don’t!)
CREAM OF CRAWFISH SOUP
1 stick butter
½ cup grated onion
½ cup flour
1 pound crawfish tails
½ bunch green onions
2 cups Half and Half
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon red pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in onion and sauté for five minutes. Stir in flour. Cook about 2 minutes until mixture thickens. Add hot chicken stock and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly.
In a food processor, grind crawfish and green onions. Add to soup base. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring constantly. Add Half and Half and cream and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings and remove pot from heat.
SHRIMP REMOULADE
The Old Roosevelt Hotel’s recipe
2 egg yolks
1 cup Creole mustard
¼ cup vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups salad oil
1 bunch minced green onions
½ stalk celery, minced
4 pounds boiled shrimp, peeled, deveined
Blend the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slowly add oil, beating constantly. Once thickened, add green onions and celery. Mix sauce with shrimp and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
BLACK EYED PEAS
Fresh will be out of season, so look for dried or look in your freeezer section and you may find them frozen by Pic’d Sweet.
2 quarts. water (or chicken broth)
1 # hickory bacon, cut in pieces
1 # smoked sausage, chunked
1 smoked ham hock
2 cups diced onions
¾ cup diced celery
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon thyme
1 Tablespoon sweet basil
4 bay leaves
1 # black eyed peas
3 Tablespoons bacon drippings
Salt and black pepper to taste
6 cups cooked long-grain rice
Rinse the peas well under cold running water and set them aside to drain. In a 5-quart heavy aluminum Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid bring the two quarts of water or broth to a rapid boil. Drop into the water the bacon, smoked sausage and ham hock.
Bring the water to a slow boil and cook the meats for 15 minutes (covered) until they form a rich flavored stock. Stir in the onions, celery, garlic powder, thyme, sweet basil, and bay leaves, cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables soften —about 15 minutes.
Stir in the black eyed peas and the bacon drippings well, making sure the mixture is uniformly blended. Bring the peas to a boil, but immediately reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until rich and creamy, stirring so they don’t stick. (dried peas take about two hours on a very low fire).
About 20 minutes before serving, sprinkle in the salt and pepper and season the peas to taste. Remember—you already have salt in the bacon as well as in the smoked sausage, so you may not need to add much more.
“Fresh” blackeyed peas, unlike the dried variety, need to be cooked for only 20 to 30 minutes before they are ready to serve.
Serve over rice
JAMBALAYA
This is a great short cut version of jambalaya that uses canned broths and is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make. It is great for pot luck lunches/dinners because it is not expensive to make and serves a lot of people. Just don’t tell my grandma I am taking short cuts!
1 pound sausage
2 pounds peeled shrimp or 3-4 cooked, chopped chicken
1 can Campbell’s beef bouillon
1 can Campbell’s french onion soup
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 stick butter
1 ¼ cups chopped bell pepper
¼ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 pound (orange box) Uncle Ben’s
season to taste
Mix cubed chicken and sliced sausage and all other ingredients in baking pan, bake covered 350 for 1 hour and 15 min. Stir every 15-20 min.
SHRIMP CREOLE
2 pounds peeled/deveined shrimp
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 large onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
2 Tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 Tablespoon flour
8 ounces tomato sauce
12- 16 ounces of water
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
thyme
salt and pepper
Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic and green pepper, sauté two minutes. Stir in flour until well blended. Stir in tomato sauce. Simmer for five minutes. Stir in water, thyme, salt, pepper, parsley and shrimp. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
And if you want an authentic creole dessert:
Pralines
2 1/4 c sugar
1 c whole milk
3/4 can evap milk
1 heaping c pecans
1 tea vanilla
2 Table butter
Cook sugar, milk, evaporated milk and butter, stirring constantly, over medium heat to soft ball stage. Add vanilla. Slowly add pecans stirring constantly. Cool 15 minutes. Pour 2" apart on waxed paper and cool.
or
Buttered Pecan Pie
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups toasted pecans
9” pie shell
Preheat oven to 375. In a medium saucepan, heat butter over low heat until it turns golden-amber; do not burn. Immediately pour in cream to stop cooking and pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Blend in brown sugar, salt, corn syrup and vanilla. Beat in eggs by hand until well blended. Stir in pecans.
Pour into shell (crimp edges as high as possible) and cover edges with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is set and pastry golden. Cool at least 2 hours before serving.
To toast pecans: spread pecans on cookie sheet and bake in 375 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
I need a great recipe for seafood gumbo?
I love seafood gumbo but do not know how to prepare it. If anybody can help me with a great cajun recipe for seafood gumbo it would be greatly appreciated!!
Here is one i made during the lsu osu nat. champ game last year.
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
2 medium onions, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 ribs celery, finely diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes (or 8 Roma tomatoes), seeded and diced (if you like tomatoes in your gumbo)
1 cup tomato purée (see above)
2 pounds okra, chopped
4 quarts shrimp stock, crab stock or fish stock
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning blend
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 dozen oysters, freshly shucked, liquor reserved
4 blue crabs, cleaned (optional)
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 tablespoon filé powder (if okra isn’t used)
8 cups cooked long-grain white rice
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until a light brown roux is formed, then add the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes and tomato purée, if you wish, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. (I know I sound like a broken record, but I’m not one of those people who likes tomatoes in my gumbo, but lots of people do. Your mileage may vary.)
Add the seasonings, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add the okra, and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 30 minutes.
(If you wish a more rustic gumbo, you may add whole blue crabs. Remove the hard top shell from the crabs (reserving for stuffed crabs or for shellfish stock), and break each crab in two down the middle. Remove the claws. Add to the stock.) With the gumbo on very low heat, add the shrimp 10 minutes before serving, the oysters and oyster liquor 5 minutes before serving, and the crabmeat just before serving (don’t cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is heated through). Taste and correct seasonings.
If you don’t like okra, or if you just prefer to make a filé gumbo, remove from heat and sprinkle the filé powder on the surface of the gumbo, then cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Then uncover and stir to mix. Be careful if there are leftovers — filé doesn’t reheat all that well, and you must be careful to reheat gently. If the gumbo comes back to a boil after the filé has been added, it will get stringy.
Place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of rice in each bowl and ladle the gumbo over and around it. Serve with plenty of french bread and good beer or white wine.
Cajun Power Garlic Hot Sauce
No Fat Fits In Display Box Pure Louisiana Cajun. Includes freshly squeezed garlic. – Read Reviews of Cajun Power Garlic, Hot Sauces ~ Size: 8oz 236ml ~ Heat Level: 5 (Medium Hot Sauces) Customer Review: I tried this hot sauce at the New Orleans School of Cooking, where they use it quite a bit. Is is extremely flavorful and may be used as a condiment at the table or in cooking. It is quite mild with only slight heat but the flavors are intense, primarily mild garlic (not hot) tomato and spice. It is excellent on chicken, shrimp and even eggs. I highly recommend it! – Brad… Read More Reviews about Cajun Power Garlic Hot Sauces Try This On : All Meats and seafoods; For seasoning or marinating chicken, ribs, pork chops, steaks, roast, brisket, hamburgers, pasta, Bar-B-Q baked beans, sauces and dips. Fish, Shrimp, Crawfish, Crabs. Cajun Power Garlic Hot Sauce PRODUCT DETAILS Size : 8oz 236ml Regular Price : Heat Level : 5 (Medium) Bottle Type: Round, Tapered Top Color : Reddish Orange Consistency : Thin Produced in : USA Style : hot sauce, hot sauces, garlic hot sauce, cajun power garlic hot sauce, garlic cayenne, louisiana cajun, medium hot sauce, gourmet sauces Manufacturer : Cajun Power Sauce Themes : Garlic Heavy * Cajun * Gourmet Sauces * No Fat * Fits In Display Box Ingredients : Vinegar, Garlic, Sucross, Spices, Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Xanthan Gum NUTRITION FACTS Serving Size=1TBS Servings Per Container 16 Amount per serving Calories 10 % Daily Values* Total Fat 0g 0% — Sat Fat 0 0 Sodium 300mg 13% Total Carb 1 0% Sugars 1g Protein 0g 0%
Does anyone know some good cajun food recipes?
Spareribs with Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
10 lb Spareribs
1 c Salt
1 c Cumin
1 c Black Pepper
1/3 c Cayenne Pepper
1/3 c Minced Garlic
1 c Brown Sugar
1/3 c Ground Horseradish
1/3 c Yellow Mustard
1/4 c White Wine
1 c Honey
Instructions
Dry Rub Seasonings:
Combine salt, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper and mix well. Rub over entire surface of the spareribs. Creole Mustard:
Combine horseradish, yellow mustard and white wine. This will keep refrigerated for several months.
Mustard Sauce:
Combine minced garlic, brown sugar, and Creole Mustard in a bowl and mix well. Grill ribs bone side down, glazing with mustard sauce as it cooks. Turn several times to avoid burning, adding sauce to the upper side. Glaze ribs with the honey near the end of the cooking time (approx 15 min)
Cooking a Cajun dish for in-;aws. What is a good side dish?
So, I’m making the Cajun dish of Red Beans & Rice (also consists of andouille sausage, ground beef, stewed tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, & mushrooms etc).
I’m nervous because what if someone doesn’t like mushrooms or something. So, I want to have good side dishes. I’ve thought about a salad, bread, ribs, or something with shrimp.
Help..
ps I want to impress my ever so lovely mother-in-law 
OK… let me clear something up… Red beans and rice is NOT a side dish in southern Cajun Louisiana. It is traditionally known as the Monday meal. This stems way back, before electricity, when washing was done on Mondays and took an entire day to do, and a meal had to be cook that didn’t require a lot of tending to… thus Red Beans were made.
Now to your dish. I have had beans with Sasuage, and with ground beef (make sure you drain the ground beef really well, or use ground chuck), and I have had the beans with both combined. I like it either way, but the majority of the people like it with sasuage only. Don’t over do it with the tomatoes, be very light with them, and I would leave out the mushrooms completely. But I guess that is preference. The secret to good beans is to cook them slow, and as taught by my grandmother, take out about 2 cups when they are done, and blend that to a puree and put it back into the pot.. it will make your beans creamier. Also, I never, ever cook my beans with out a little parsley. You can use fresh or dried. Oh and … if you are using fresh beans, not canned, make sure you pre-soak them for about 4 hours, drain the water, put new water, and boil them for about 20 minutes, rinse and put fresh water, one cooking spoon of vegetable oil, all your other ingredients and cook away! (If you decide to use ground beef, pre-cook it to get rid of some of the fat, just browning it a little will do the trick). And of course, rice on the side.
Toss up a good salad… we do have regular salad in cajun country, don’t do the shrimp, that is a totally different meal in itself! And bake up a good corn bread.
Since you have sasuage and/or ground beef in your beans, don’t feel like you need a meat dish to go along with it. But my grandmother always had a pork roast on Sunday with her beans, just because she served the entire family, and of course, it was always a wonderful hit!
My mouth is watering!
Your dinner will be a hit!
Good Luck