Crab Gumbo with Crispy Okra
Elevated gumbo
Adapted from Bobby Flay: Chapter One
Ingredients
Crab Rice
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
- 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups shellfish stock (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 8 ounces crabmeat
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
Gumbo
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 to 10 cups shellfish stock (see notes), or as needed
- 16 ounces king crabmeat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crispy Okra
- 1 cup neutral oil, such as canola
- 1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 pound okra, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- kosher salt & black pepper
To Serve
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- Crispy Okra (page 302), for serving
Instructions
Make the crab rice
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high.
- Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and stir until fully coated with the oil.
- Add the stock and salt and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the rice begins to peek above the liquid, about 8 minutes.
- Stir the rice, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, fold in 8 ounces of the crabmeat and the parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and set aside.
Make the gumbo
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat until it begins to Shimmer.
- Add the andouille and brown on both sides, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the andouille to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the Dutch oven.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer the softened vegetables to a bowl and wipe out the Dutch oven.
- Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Gradually add the flour, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon to avoid burning, then patiently cook, stirring continuously, until the roux reaches a rich dark brown color, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil.
- Gradually whisk 6 cups of the hot stock into the roux.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and add the andouille and softened vegetables.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the gumbo has the consistency of a light gravy. If it is too thick, add more stock.
- Stir in the crabmeat and cover. Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.
Crispy Okra
- In a high-sided saute pan, heat ~2" of oil oiver medium heat until it begins to shimmer
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels
- Place the cornmeal in a shallow balking dish or bowl and season with salt & pepper
- Season the okra with salt & pepper and toss in the cornmeal
- Working in batches, fry the okra until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the okra with a slotted spoon to the towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt
To serve
- Place a mound of crab rice into each of four wide, shallow bowls.
- Ladle crab gumbo over the top of each, then garnish with the parsley and cilantro.
- Sprinkle with crispy okra, and serve immediately.
Notes
- I use Better Than Bouillon Lobster Stock paste instead of shrimp stock
- Costco sells some good lump crab meat
- The original recipe added crab legs on top, but who has crab legs?! Maybe add large shrimp instead? Fry in butter before adding on top of the gumbo