Seafood Gumbo
If you are from Louisiana you know the definition of "Gumbo Weather". We consider "gumbo weather" any excuse to make a huge pot of gumbo including, but not limited to: drop in temperature, rain, birthday party, etc.
Let me start by saying: THIS IS NOT a 30 minute meal. It is more like an entire day project and the longer you cook it, the better it tastes. Everyone knows 2nd day gumbo is the best gumbo.
We decided to make a Seafood Gumbo this Sunday to watch the coverage of the Valspar Championship, aka to watch Tiger Woods. If you did not know, my husband is a HUGE golf fan and golf is on our TV 24/7.
Another confession: My husband, Petey, is the gumbo master. I just help & taste test throughout the process.
My grocery cart at Champagne's Market in Lafayette, La
Step 1: Make a trip to your local grocery store. Here in Lafayette, I love Champagne's market in the Oil Center. They have a great selection of fresh seafood and local ingredients. They also have a killer cheese section with a very knowledgeable "cheese guy", but more on that later.
Another confession: We use jar roux. There are many options, but our favorite is Kary's Roux.
We decided to go with shrimp, lump crab meat, and crawfish for our Seafood Gumbo. Another good addition would have been oysters. We also use Guidry's creole seasoning mix- yellow onion, bell pepper, celery, green onions, and garlic all chopped up for you! There really is no prep time if you use this ingredient.
Now another great debate in our home is what to serve with gumbo. Growing up we always had a sweet potato & saltine crackers. My husband on the other hand always had potato salad. If you go towards the New Orleans area, you will most likely be served a giant piece of french bread with your bowl. Do you pair with one of the above? Or did you have another tradition? If so, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
