March 4, 2014

IT'S MARDI GRAS TIME....MAKIN' DA' GUMBO

The Way We Were
 
Yep! There she is....Home Sweet Home!
 
The Year was 1971
 
She was a recent graduate of LSU.  She had landed a job as a medical staff writer at Touro University in New Orleans. Life was grand. She leased an apartment above the bar then known as Maxwell's Plum. They spent many lazy hot days relaxing in a hammock on the balcony. The parties were simply festive, wine was plentiful and love was young.
 
 

Going back, we see that Maxwell's Plum is no longer there. Oh, the downstairs is still a bar, but the ambiance has changed somewhat. It has lost it's luster, it's appeal. She is not sure she would live there again, but it does hold secrets and many memories.


We drove down from Ole Miss and probably rolled onto Burgundy street a little after 10 PM. Joe B. was standing on the balcony with a Dixie beer in hand. Now the best way to describe Joe, was if you can picture a young Steve McQueen......oh yeah, he was THAT good-looking. He yelled at us from above.."Hey! Y'all come on up! It's pahty time!" (he had the most alluring Cajun accent) And indeed it was.......Joe is now in his 80's. I cannot think about that...years go by too quickly now...if you love New Orleans, she will love you back!
 
Time to make Da' Gumbo
 
First you make da' roux
 









Estelle's Seafood Gumbo
12 ounces package of bacon
6 T. flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup of celery, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
16 ounce package of frozen, sliced okra, thawed
14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
12 ounce can chicken broth
8 ounce bottle of clam juice
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 Bay Leaves
2 1/4 t. Creole seasoning
1/2 t. salt
1 lb. peeled large shrimp
1/2 lb. fresh lump crabmeat
Hot Cooked Rice

 

Cut bacon into one-inch pieces. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve the drippings. Cover and chill bacon until the gumbo is done. Whisk flour into drippings and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until roux is caramel-colored (about 15 minutes). Add onion and next three ingredients, cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring constantly.



Transfer vegetable mixture into a 4 quart crockpot, stir in okra and next seven ingredients. Cover and slow cook for 6 hours. Add shrimp and crabmeat and cook on high heat for one hour. Discard bay leaves. Serve gumbo over freshly cooked rice.

Penny at http://thecomfortsofhome.blogspot.com/ invited me to share this post with her Tasty Tuesday Party.......pop over to Penny's lovely blog for some fabulous and delicious recipes today!

17 comments:

  1. That sounds delicious! I would love it if you linked to my Tasty Tuesday party, going on now.
    http://www.thecomfortsofhome.blogspot.com/2014/03/tasty-tuesday-1.html

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    1. That sounds terrific Penny! I'll give this a try!

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    2. I don't appear to be able to link to this Penny....trying!

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  2. I have a kink in my linky...not sure why, but I have to moderate the links. So I did and you are now up and running. Thank you!! I am trying to figure out what I did wrong...so next week there won't be a problem.

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    1. I believe it's working.....how fun! Thank you so much Penny!

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  3. This reminds me of when we went to New Orleans and my hubby would love this. However, my mother would always make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. I'm not sure what I'm making since we're iced in this morning, but I know I'll bake a King Cake! XOXO

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    1. That's fantastic Susan....King Cakes are so festive....good luck to whoever finds the baby!!! Please share your recipe if you make this! It's a Fat Tuesday celebration!!! Thank you love, for visiting the blog today!

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  4. Looks awesome and sounds wonderful. YUM... Luv your Home Sweet Home.

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    1. Thank you so much Cherie! I so appreciate you stopping by my blog today! Have a wonderful week and hope you try the gumbo!

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  5. Oh this is so yummy! I love Gumbo, I know there are so many different versions and special tricks a Gumbo lover . So glad you shared this! It is so sad when we go back to a different time and place of our younger years and see the changes. Most of them are not so good. I have actually wished that I had not gone back to visit certain places, because so much decay had happened. Everything changes...
    Yours, Roxy

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    1. So true Roxy! Perhaps places we loved are left better in our minds to imagine them as they were! But everyone seems to be drawn back to when hey were younger and had such good times. We grew up on Gumbo and actually no one can match my mother-in-laws! Wish she were here to share her version! Enjoy and thank you for stopping by today!

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  6. I find Gumbo a little scary. I won't eat it unless I know exactly what's in it, so I never order it at a restaurant. I live in LA and I know sometimes people put some weird things in Gumbo.

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    1. LOL...yes Sweet Tea...sometimes it can be full of all kinds of oysters and other seafood. But we grew up on gumbo and love it all! Hope you try our version and enjoy it!

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  7. I've only been to NO once and it was sooo much fun. I hope to go back...maybe this summer.
    And, I think my favorite singer of alllll time still lives there...Mr. Fats Domino...:)
    Come see me..
    I'm here from Tasty Tues.
    uh ohhh...your word verification is on......:(

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    1. Hi BJ! Thank you for stopping by Estelle's! New Orleans has almost been a second home to us for many, many years....since the 50's! My father did his residency in NO so the city holds very special memories for us. I look forward to getting to know you and read your blog! I appreciate your comment!

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  8. That bar with the apartment above it and the wonderful balcony and the pink color and then the handsome guy calling down to you. Now that is a grand memory, and oh your food sounds and looks delish.

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    1. Thank you Terra...it was wonderful. This post was about my sister. I always found her so brave to move to a new city right after college and begin her career! Great times! Thank you so much for visiting today!

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