Late Summer Storms

It's been cloudy and rainy lately, and it makes me think of soup. Since local crops are still producing vegetables, I hate to waste the opportunity to use the fresh ingredients. Tomatoes are usually plentiful and I am always on the lookout for okra. Tomatoes plus okra equals shrimp gumbo, at least to me.

This is a recipe I've struggled with for years. There are hundreds of recipes for this dish, so take mine as a starting point and add and subtract what you like. I started by using an old recipe, and then started modifying it every time I made it. I've tried adding sausage and crab meat, but I think too many meats take away from the blend of shrimp, tomatoes and okra. Have fun and do what you want. The time at the bottom of the recipe is the total amount of time it takes to prepare and cook the dish.

 As a side note, if you like cooked rice but can't make it without it sticking or burning, or you don't enjoy the texture of the quick style type, I suggest you invest in a rice cooker. Black & Decker makes one for fifteen bucks. It's a foolproof way of making perfectly steamed rice. You'll be glad you did.

Shrimp Gumbo

I wouldn’t be so bold as to serve this to a native New Orleans-er, but I got the original recipe from a 1958 Tobasco cookbook of my mom’s and altered it to suit me. I hope you do the same.

1/4 Flour and Oil, or any equal amount

2 Celery ribs, chopped

2 thin slices of Onion, chopped

10-oz Okra, chopped

1 can Chicken broth

1 Tsp Garlic

Salt, Black & Red pepper

Fiesta Cajun-All Seasoning, to taste

Tobasco, to taste

2 Tomatoes, chopped

3/4  Lb Shrimp, cleaned and deveined

2 C cooked rice

Cook rice in rice cooker or on the stove(please refrain from using Minute RIce, all though it’s tempting).

Over medium heat in a medium pot, cook and stir flour and oil on medium heat until caramel-colored, about 10 minutes. This is called roux. The more you have, the thicker the soup will be. Try this amount first, before increasing on the next batch.

Add celery, onion, and okra, cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Stir in broth and add about 3/4 can of water and seasonings, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes.

Add shrimp and cook for 10 more minutes. 

If you need more liquid or it doesn’t look very red, add tomato juice or some Tony Chachere’s dark roux until it looks good to you. 

Serve in a soup bowl over a mound of white rice. Serves 4.-1 hour

Happy Cooking!