Seafood and Okra Gumbo with Alligator Sausage

Name: Seafood and Okra Gumbo with Alligator Sausage
Yield: 14
Cuisine: American Recipes by Professional Chefs
Ingredients: Vegetable Oil: 1 cup; all purpose flour: 1 cup; unsalted butter: ¼ pound (1 stick); Fresh Garlic: 4 tablespoons; onions: 4 cups; green sweet peppers: 2 cups; celery: 1½ cups; Bay Leaves: 3 whole; fresh ripe tomatoes: 2 cups; alligator sausage: 1 pound; Creole seasoning: 3 tablespoons; fresh thyme leaves: 1 rounded tablespoon; crab stock: 10 cups; fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves: 1 tablespoon; okra: 2 cups; Worcestershire Sauce: ¼ cup; Crystal brand pepper sauce: 1½ tablespoons; Kosher Salt: 1 tablespoon; freshly ground black pepper: ½ teaspoon; medium shrimp: 1 pound; crab claw meat: ½ pound; shucked oysters: ¾ pound; Green Onions; long-grain white rice; pepper sauce; saltine crackers

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Ingredients

Adjust Servings:

	1 cup Vegetable Oil
	1 cup all purpose flour
	¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
	4 tablespoons Fresh Garlic minced
	4 cups onions chopped
	2 cups green sweet peppers chopped
	1½ cups celery sliced
	3 whole Bay Leaves
	2 cups fresh ripe tomatoes chopped
	1 pound alligator sausage cut in half-inch slices
	3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
	1 rounded tablespoon fresh thyme leaves minced
	10 cups crab stock preferred, or seafood stock
	1 tablespoon fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves minced
	2 cups okra trimmed and sliced, fresh (preferred) or frozen
	¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce optional
	1½ tablespoons Crystal brand pepper sauce or other relatively mild pepper sauce
	1 tablespoon Kosher Salt plus to taste
	½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus to taste
	1 pound medium shrimp peeled with tails removed
	½ pound crab claw meat picked through
	¾ pound shucked oysters not drained
	Green Onions thinly sliced (green parts only), for garnish
	long-grain white rice cooked, for serving
	pepper sauce hot or mild, for the table
	saltine crackers or crusty French bread, for the table

Cuisine:

American Recipes by Professional Chefs

Serves 14
Medium

Ingredients

1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons Fresh Garlic
minced
4 cups onions
chopped
2 cups green sweet peppers
chopped
1½ cups celery
sliced
3 whole Bay Leaves
2 cups fresh ripe tomatoes
chopped
1 pound alligator sausage
cut in half-inch slices
3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1 rounded tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
minced
10 cups crab stock
preferred, or seafood stock
1 tablespoon fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
minced
2 cups okra
trimmed and sliced, fresh (preferred) or frozen
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
optional
1½ tablespoons Crystal brand pepper sauce
or other relatively mild pepper sauce
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
plus to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
plus to taste
1 pound medium shrimp
peeled with tails removed
½ pound crab claw meat
picked through
¾ pound shucked oysters
not drained
Green Onions
thinly sliced (green parts only), for garnish
long-grain white rice
cooked, for serving
pepper sauce
hot or mild, for the table
saltine crackers
or crusty French bread, for the table

Directions

In the world of gumbos, there are few diehard rules. The only inviolable one is that the gumbo taste good. While this one does bow to tradition with okra as an ingredient, it also strays from the traditional path in calling for alligator sausage (although smoked pork sausages can be substituted).

Alligators, which are legal game in Louisiana, are harvested for their hides as well as their meat. The tail is the edible part, and its subtle flavor might be compared to white meat of chicken or white veal.

How to Make Seafood and Okra Gumbo with Alligator Sausage:

For the roux, in a heavy 10-inch skillet combine the oil and flour. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook for three minutes, mixing constantly and thoroughly with a long-handled metal whisk or a wooden spoon until smooth.
Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking the roux, whisking or stirring constantly so it doesn’t scorch, until it turns a peanut-butter brown, about nine minutes. Remove from heat and continue whisking constantly until the roux stops getting darker, about three minutes. Set aside.
In a heavy 8-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it just starts to turn golden brown (the color of a pumpkin-pie filling), about one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the onions, sweet peppers, celery, and bay leaves and cook and stir for one minute.
Add the tomatoes, sausage, Creole seasoning, and thyme to the pan, stirring well. Cook until all the vegetables are tender, about five minutes, occasionally stirring and scraping the pan bottom clean.
Stir in the stock and parsley, mixing well, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Gradually add the reserved roux, stirring constantly until all the roux is thoroughly blended in.
Stir in the okra, Worcestershire, the 1ó tablespoons mildly hot pepper sauce, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and ó teaspoon pepper. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If you’re making the gumbo ahead, which is preferable, let it cool at this point, then cover and refrigerate it until it is time to reheat and proceed with the recipe.
Next, stir in the shrimp and crabmeat and let the shrimp cook about half way, about two minutes. Do not overcook the shrimp.
Add the oysters and bring to a boil, skimming any foam. Continue cooking just until the oysters are plump and their edges curl, one to two minutes more.
Remove from heat. Season the gumbo with more kosher salt and pepper if needed.

Serving Suggestions: If prepared ahead, which is preferable, do not add more salt and pepper at this time. Instead, let the gumbo cool down and refrigerate in a covered container. Just before serving, reheat until all the ingredients are just hot so the seafood doesn’t overcook, then season with more kosher salt and pepper if needed.

If serving immediately, season the gumbo with more kosher salt and pepper to taste before dishing out. Serve the gumbo, garnished with a light sprinkle of green onions, in heated cups or bowls over rice, or pass the rice at the table, along with hot or mildly hot pepper sauce and saltine crackers or crusty French bread.

Seafood and Okra Gumbo with Alligator Sausage

Note: This gumbo is especially good when made a day ahead to allow the flavors to marry.

Special Equipment: A heavy 10-inch skillet; A long-handled metal whisk or wooden spoon; A heavy 8-quart saucepan or Dutch oven.

Recipe for 14 appetizer servings or 7 main-dish servings.

Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group

Ralph Brennan has welcomed guests to his tables for over three decades with the vision of preserving and celebrating Louisiana’s rich bounty of food and culture. Where the culinary culture of New Orleans is concerned, you don't get much more in-the-thick-of-it than Ralph Brennan. A third generation scion of the family whose name is synonymous with New Orleans restaurants, he is steeped in the industry as a consummate professional - and as an enthusiastic wine and food connoisseur, in the truest sense of the word.