Gumbo with Crab and Shrimp

Shrimp and crab gumbo with beef and ham hock served with rice

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City/Region: New Orleans

Time Period: 1885

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New Orleans is one of my favorite food cities. Gumbo, a rich, thick soup or stew (depending on who you’re talking to), is an embodiment of the many cultures that have lived there. Ingredients and techniques from Native Americans, Africans, French, Spanish, and Acadian roots, just to name a few, have a place in gumbo.

While this is a relatively simple dish, it is absolutely packed with flavor. I was blown away by how a handful of ingredients, cooked down over time, came together to make such a delicious dish. Go to New Orleans and try one of the many versions of gumbo, and in the meantime, make this historical version that is so, so good.

“Gombo With Crabs, or Shrimp.
To a pound of beef add half a pound knuckle of ham; chop up both in inch pieces and fry them brown in two tablespoons of boiling lard; add to them four large crabs cut up, or a pound of peeled shrimps, or both if desired; cut into this four dozen small okra pods, one large onion, a little red pepper, and salt to taste. Let all simmer on a slow fire for about twenty minutes; then fill up with warm water, enough to cover the contents two inches deep. Let this boil for two hours. If it becomes too thick, add as much water as required. If preferred, a chicken can be used instead of beef.”

— La Cuisine Creole compiled by Lafcadio Hearn, 1885

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Ingredients:

Browned Flour

• 1 cup (120 g) flour

Gumbo

• 1/3 cup (70 g) lard, divided
• 1 lb (450 g) beef, stew meat or short ribs are perfect, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 large ham knuckle, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1/2 cup (60 g) browned flour
• 4 dozen small (3 dozen large) okra pods, sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper or hot pepper without the seeds, chopped
• 2-3 teaspoons salt
• 2 quarts (2 L) hot water
• 1 lb (450 g) peeled shrimp or crab legs or whole crabs, or a combination

Instructions:

1. For the browned flour: Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Put the flour in an oven-safe pan and spread it evenly. Cook in the oven, stirring every 15 or 20 minutes, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the flour is the color of light brown sugar.
3. For the gumbo: Melt 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the lard in a large pot over high heat. Once it’s sizzling, add in the beef and ham knuckle. You don’t want to crowd the pan, so cook in a couple of batches if necessary. Cook the meat for a few minutes, getting it nice and browned all over. It doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this point. Remove the meat and set aside.
4. Add the rest of the lard, and once it’s hot, whisk in the browned flour and cook for about 1 minute.
5. Add the meat back in along with the okra, onion, bell pepper, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.
6. Stir in the hot water, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring it to a low boil and cook uncovered for 2 hours, stirring frequently.
7. After 2 hours, taste and add salt if desired. Add in the shrimp and crab, then cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shrimp have curled up and become opaque.
8. Serve the gumbo forth with Carolina rice.

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