MIGNON FAGET’S GUMBO RECIPE

The two tablespoons of flour is correct. Early gumbo recipes had little or no roux.

Note that it says the okra should be "no bigger than your ring finger." This is a summer recipe, to be made when fresh okra is small and tender, and shrimp are abundant.

The Mignon Faget Design for Seafood Gumbo

Makes 12 servings

3 pounds medium (20/30 count) Louisiana Gulf shrimp

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 pound cured ham, minced

1 head garlic, broken apart, cloves peeled, minced

4 large yellow onions, roughly chopped

1-1/2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped

3 jalapenos, seeds removed, minced

3 pounds young okra, pods no bigger than your ring finger, sliced

1 stick butter (plus 2 tablespoons if needed)

2 tablespoons flour

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

Salt to taste

8 claws from Louisiana blue crabs

1 pound white or claw crabmeat

Louisiana hot cooked white rice for serving

Peel shrimp, reserving shells and heads for stock. Place shrimp heads and shells in a large pot and cover with water. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes; do not boil. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer, reserving liquid. Discard solids.

Place olive oil and ham in another large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook on medium heat until juices begin to release, about 3 minutes. When ham begins to brown, add chopped onions and bell peppers. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, chopped jalapeno and sliced okra and cook about 3 minutes more, stirring to combine. Once all ingredients are cooked through, remove from pot and set aside.

Create a roux. Over low heat, melt the stick of butter. Turn heat to medium-low and slowly add flour while stirring constantly.  Continue stirring over low heat until the mixture becomes golden brown, about the color of peanut butter. (If roux mixture begins to clump, lower the heat and add 2 tablespoons more butter.)

When roux is the desired color, return the ham-vegetable mixture to the pot along with reserved stock, bay leaves, thyme, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes, add shrimp and crab claws and cook until shrimp is opaque, about 5 minutes.  When shrimp is cooked through, stir in crabmeat and remove gumbo from the heat.

Serve over Louisiana-grown white rice with salt and pepper to taste.