CoreBB

One thing I really miss about living on the Gulf of Mexico is you can get fresh seafood and Gumbo is very popular. I have been back in the mountains for 7 years now and have been dieing for some good gumbo. I have tried the kind in restaurants like Red Lobster, Captain D's but its not the real thing. I belong to this Crockpot recipe a week email service and received this recipe about a 2 months ago. I had to try it.

The first time I made it I made it exactly like the recipe only I added more shrimp, Blue Star Lump Crab meat, and I added shrimp stock.

The second time I made this (today) I did some more modifications. You will find both recipes here along with shrimp stock recipe. It turned out absolutely delicious. I will be making it more often. My kids even like it.

This is really a really good easy way to make gumbo. If I was down south or close to a seafood harbor, I would still make it this way. I love putting things in my Crockpot and forgetting about it till time to eat.

Shrimp Stock

When purchasing shrimp I buy it with the shells on, so I can make this stock. This recipe is designed for the Crockpot Gumbo Recipe if you need to make it in a larger scale just double it and use a bigger stock pot. If you leave near a seafood harbor, you can add your crabs to this pot and precook them for your gumbo - shelling them before adding to Crockpot.

Ingredients

2.5 lbs frozen or fresh shrimp in the shell

2 quarts water
Directions

Place 2 quarts water on stove bring to rolling boil while this is getting setup start peeling your shrimp. Do not throw any of your shells, tails, or tiny pieces of shrimp away toss into a bowl to add to your boiling water. If there is real small shrimp in my batch I just add then to the shell bowl.

Once water is at a rolling boiling add your bowl of shells and turn heat down to medium low. You want to continue to soft boil for about 30 minutes uncovered this will reduce your water to about half.

Then strain and keep your stock for the Gumbo Recipe.

Any left over stock freeze and add to your fresh stock for next time.
Crockpot Chicken, Sausage, Shrimp Gumbo Original Recipe

Ingredients
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 3 tablespoons oil

* 1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices

* 3/4 to 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut in bite-size pieces

* 1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen cut okra

* 1 cup chopped onion

* 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

* 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

* 1 cup frozen medium shrimp, cleaned and cooked

* 1 1/2 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice

Directions

In small saucepan, combine flour and oil; mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring constantly, about 8 to 12 minutes or until mixture turns a light red-brown.

Place flour and oil mixture in 3 1/2 to 4-quart Crockpot. Stir in all remaining ingredients except shrimp and rice. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Add cooked shrimp to the gumbo; mix well. Cover and continue to cook on LOW for 20 minutes longer. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. Serve gumbo over hot cooked rice.

Serves 6 to 8.
Added Ingredients

Blue Star Lump Crab Meat (this comes in a 6oz package at your seafood counter - found mine at Walmart - I used half the package and froze the other half for the next time)

2 cups shrimp, raw (I cooked my shrimp in the Crockpot the last 20 minutes worked fine and was done)

1 & 1/2 cup shrimp stock

Frozen okra I used the bigger 16oz bag (eying it up it looks like about 2 cups)

Added Ingredients Directions

Add shrimp stock and Okra as one of the main ingredients from directions above.

Add Shrimp per recipe directions

Cook time for me was 9 hours

Add Lump Crab meat the last 5 minutes (I put it in and turn off crock pot its precooked).

Crockpot Chicken, Sausage, Shrimp Gumbo Modified More

I personally do not like a lot chicken in my gumbo to me its suppose to be fishier and have more Okra. This is modification of the above modified recipe.

Double my roux which is the flour and oil

6 tablespoons oil to 6 tablespoons flour
I cut chicken down to half a chicken breast cut into tiny pieces.

I used two kielbasi links (from our local butcher they make the best) I cut them in half then each half again and then into small pieces.

Increased shrimp to 2.5 cups

1/2 an onion (we don't like a lot of onion in our food just enough for a hint of flavor)

Shrimp stock 2.5 cups

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Increased Okra 1 & 1/2 16oz frozen bags - measured it - 3 cups

I basically made close to a double batch - I have a 5 to 6 quart Crockpot it was about 2" from the top.