Seafood "Yaya" Gumbo over Rice
I gathered some of the fresh ingredients for the Gumbo. Onions, celery , and yellow bell peppers are a must. (The Holy Trinity) but I also used a few hot peppers,garlic, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf,and scallions. I prepared a mixture of herbs and spices (thyme,cilantro, paprika,salt, pepper,bay)….
The Holy Trinity Ingredients and my herb medley
So much fun to prepare when you lay everything out chopped and dice and ready to cook.
Sauteed diced onions, celery, onions and garlic , stirring constantly til golden brown….
The Holy Trinity
This is the beginning of the Roux. Its basically a cup of vegetable oil and a cup of flour. I slowly cooked it in a sturdy iron pot on low heat , and I constantly whisked it for about 90 mins. Yes it was a workout, but with friends nearby and a glass or two of vino, I did ok. It finally turned a lovely golden brown.
The Roux...Its Vegetable Oil and Flour
The Roux becomes a lovely golden brown.
The Holy Trinity waits to get tossed in to the Roux. I had all the other veggies ready to toss in too.
The Holy Trinity and the Roux
Suddenly it was time for the stock and the Holy Trinity veggies to come together. I used about 5 cups of home made fish stock, then simmered til it reduced. I kept whisking.Then I added the tomatoes and scallions and other veggies…I gradually added the herb and spice mixture, fresh chopped parsley, bay leaf, and the chopped crab meat…
Adding the herbs
N'Awlins Style Andouille Chicken Sausage
The Gumbo seemed a bit soupy to me, so I decided to chop up some chicken thighs. Im glad I did. Dont forget to taste for salt and pepper or spices. Add whatever you think it might need.
The Gumbo begins to come together
I threw in about 2 lbs of peeled, de-veined, tail-on shrimp , turned off the heat,covered and let sit for a few minutes til the shrimp were perfectly tender. The Gumbo was done.
Finally, the shrimp!
I made some fluffy white arborio rice, spooned some Gumbo over it, sprinkled it with more fresh parsley and served the most delicious sweet and spicy Gumbo Id ever tasted.
Seafood Yaya Gumbo