Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh uncooked shrimp (500 gm)
1 cup uncooked long grain rice (236 ml)
4 tablespoons white flour (60 ml)
2 (14 ounce) cans cut okra (397 gr each), drained
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil with a dash of sesame oil (30 ml)
1 (6 ounce) can of no-salt tomato paste (170 gm)
1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
6 cups water (1.4 L)
6 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (2.5 ml)
Chopped green onions and fresh parsley for garnish
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Directions: |
Directions:First prepare:
Peel and devein the shrimp, saving the shells. Cut each shrimp into three pieces and set aside.
Put the shrimp shells into a medium saucepan and cover with 2 cups (472 ml) water. Bring to a boil and simmer just a couple of
minutes. Strain out the shells, reserving the liquid. This flavor infused water will be used for cooking your rice.
Now cook:
Cook the rice in the reserved shrimp shell water until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
Put the flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it turns light brown. Remove from the heat and cool. This step
is crucial in developing a nice, toasty flavor and brown color for your gumbo.
Put the drained okra in a large plastic bag. Pour in the cooled flour. Seal off the top and shake until the okra is completely coated
with flour.
Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil in a large pot. Add the flour-coated okra and the flour, one half at a time. You want the okra
to fry and become really brown. Push the okra to one side of the pot.
On the other side of the pot, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring often. Continue cooking until the tomato paste turns a dark
brown. This is a caramelizing called the Maillard reaction. Now stir the tomato paste into the okra pieces. Turn the cooked okra
out onto a plate, scraping up all the tasty brown pan residue.
Add the remaining oil to the same pot. Add the onions, celery, green pepper and garlic. Let the vegetables swelter and fry over
high heat. Stir in the cooked okra and continue frying over high heat.
Pour in 4 cups (944 ml) water, thyme, bay leaves and the "Creole torpedo" - the cayenne pepper. Simmer 30 minutes.
Just before you're ready to serve, stir in the shrimp. Cook only about 4 minutes. The shrimp should not be overdone.
To Serve: Spoon the rice, fragrant from the shrimp shells, into a bowl. Sprinkle the chopped green onions over the rice. Top with
the shrimp gumbo. Sprinkle with emerald flecks of fresh, chopped parsley. |
Personal
Notes: |
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Notes: Helpful Hints & Observations
What to do with the roux?
Another really tough issue: can it be Creole without the roux, the incredible invention that provides both depth of taste and silky
thickening to so may wonderful dishes? Roux is almost equal amounts of flour and butter, stirred together over mild heat to cook.
This combination can actually thicken up to six times its own weight in liquid! It is also rich in saturated fat and calories. I think this
recipe's method is a great alternative.
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This recipe for Graham Kerr's LoFat Shrimp Gumbo is from