Mark Hix Shrimp Gumbo
Mark Hix' take on the traditional recipe for gumbo, a hearty soup originating in Louisiana, is delicious and satisfying.
Ingredients
500g raw prawns preferably with their heads on
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1tbsp vegetable oil
1tbsp tomato paste
A few sprigs of thyme
1 glass of white wine
10 black peppercorns
1/2tsp fennel seeds
2 litres fish stock (a good cube will do)
For the gumbo
3tbsp vegetable oil plus an extra one
4tbsp plain flour
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, peeled if stringy and chopped into 1Ž2cm dice
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped into 1Ž2cm dice
200g okra, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 220g can chopped tomatoes, drained and the flesh chopped over a little
A few splashes of Tabasco® Pepper Sauce
Method
First make the stock. Remove the heads and shells from the prawns, de-vein them by running a knife down the back of the prawn and remove the black vein, then give them a wash. Put the meat in the fridge.
Chop the heads and shells up a bit and with the onion and garlic fry them in the vegetable oil on a high heat for a few minutes until they begin to colour. Add the tomato purée, white wine, peppercorns, fennel seeds and stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve, pushing as much through as possible with the back of a large spoon or ladle.
Meanwhile make the roux. In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and stir in the flour. Cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring every so often until the mixture turns a sandy colour. Remove from the heat and put to one side.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and fry the onion, celery, green pepper and okra for 3-4 minutes until they soften. Add the roux, stir well and gradually add the shrimp stock, canned tomatoes and juice. Season with a little salt and pepper, add a few drops of Tabasco® and simmer for 1 hour. Add the prawns and cook for a further 5 minutes. Before serving, check the seasoning and add a little more Tabasco® if you wish.
