Soup on Sunday: Crab Gumbo

Like most things in life inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime. Right now we are in the States on summer holiday (near the Maryland shore). Lucky for us, our family hosted a proper crab and corn boil last week. After hours of indulging in crab meat goodness (and creating a pile of crab carcasses), I knew that a soup was in order. There was no way that I could pass up making a gumbo stock with all of the leftovers. We bagged all the Old Bay dusted shells and carried them back to my sister-in-law’s to make a rich, brown stock that served as a base for this yummy seafood gumbo.

3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups yellow onions, chopped
1 cup green bell peppers, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
5 bay leaves
8 cups Crab stock (or fish stock)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
2 dozen oysters, shucked, with their liquor
2 tablespoons green onions (or scallions), chopped, green part only
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the stock, and stir to blend with the roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.

Add the shrimp and crabmeat and cook for 15 minutes. Add the oysters, green onions, and parsley and cook until the edges of the oysters curl, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Serve immediately ladled into soup bowls over steamed long-grain rice.