Ingredients:

Serve a stew that really lets the light flavor of the shrimp, oysters, and crab shine. Fresh garlic, tomatoes, okra, celery, and green onion add bright color and a tasty crunch to the dish. Add a crusty roll on the side for dipping.

3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sliced green onion
3 cups coarsely chopped celery
1 pound fresh or frozen okra, cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
2 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
5 cups chicken, fish, or vegetable stock, heated
1 3/4 pounds medium-size shrimp, peeled
1 (16-ounce) container fresh oysters
8 ounces fresh crabmeat, drained and picked
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large stainless-steel or enamel-coated pot over medium heat. Stir in toasted flour, blending well. Stir in green onions. (The flour will stick to the vegetables.) Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until onions wilt. Add the celery, okra, tomatoes, and heated stock, stirring until well blended. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Stir in shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat. Cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and oysters begin to curl. Stir in the garlic. Let stand 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

1/2 pound garbanzo beans (chickpeas), dried
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
1 ham bone
1 beef bone
1/4 pound salt pork, finely diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of saffron
Salt to taste
1 chorizo (Spanish sausage), sliced in thin rounds

Wash garbanzos. Soak overnight with 1 tablespoon salt in enough water to cover the beans. Drain the salted water from the beans. Place beans in a 4-quart soup kettle; add 2 wuarts of water and the ham and beef bones. Cook for 45 minutes over low heat, skimming foam from the top. Fry salt pork slowly in a skillet. Add chopped onion and saute lightly. Add to beans along with potatoes, paprika, and saffron. Add salt to taste. When potatoes are tender, remove from heat and add chorizo. Serve hot in deep soup bowls. Serves 4.

1 small potato, diced
ginger
half of an acorn squash, seeded and cleaned out
nutmeg
a small onion, diced
a carrot, diced
1/4 stick of butter
1/4 cup of cream
1 cup of apple juice
a postage stamp size slice of habanero, no placenta, no ribs no seeds

You could roast the half a squash, but it will take more than 20 minutes, so I cheated. I oiled it, dusted it with pepper and ginger and microwaved it for four minutes. Then it got cubed up and pan sauteed to get a bit of brown on it.

I boiled the apple juice with a cup of water. The diced potatoes, onion got pan sauteed in butter. The carrots, and everything that got sauteed went into the boiling juice and water. Then the habanero was diced and added. Then the cream went in with some more butter. Season with nutmeg and ginger.

I let it simmer for a few minutes, then pureed the whole thing with a stick blender. I strained it, but you could puree it more and make it thick, like a bisque. This one’s garnished with a few tiny slices of carrots and some tarragon. For hardier souls some very finely minced habanero might be a good touch.

This should make a subtly sweet, creamy soup, but with an underlying spiced heat that isn’t overwhelming.

4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups vegetable oil (or olive oil)
2 large yellow onions, diced
2 bunches green onions, diced 3 stalks celery, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
4 bay leaves
4 teaspoons cayenne pepper (add more if you want more heat)
Creole Seasoning, to taste (start with 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons File Gumbo (found at most grocery stores)
1 can lump crab meat
2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced thinly
Crab claws (Blue is preferred, but Snow or King work, too)
2 pounds of 26-30 count shrimp, uncooked and peeled (reserve the shells)

The hard part of this recipe is the roux. This one step can make or break a good gumbo. In a heavy saucepan, add the flour and oil. Stir constantly over very low heat. If it gets lumpy, add a little more oil.

You want to look for a smooth blend, and you want to cook it until it’s a chocolate color. Be careful not to burn the roux. Keep your eye on it.
Place the shrimp shells in a small pot with 2-4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Then, strain out the shells. The remaining liquid is your stock. Pour the stock over the roux, stirring constantly until combined.

Add the diced onions, bell peppers and celery and add them to the pot. Add the spices and seasonings. Add the sausage, crab meat, crab claws and the shrimp. Add enough water to create the desired consistency (you will have to add a lot of water, this is a big batch of gumbo). Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for three hours. Discard bay leaves before serving.

1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1 large potato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of potato soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can veggie broth
1 large potato, chopped

Cook sausage over medium heat until done, 1/2 way through add onions, bell peppers, garlic, salt & pepper. Add veggie broth & potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are almost done. Add beans, potato soup and cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionaly.

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 (8 ounce) bottle clam juice
3/4 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup water
hot pepper sauce to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute green bell pepper, onions, and garlic until tender. Stir in vegetable juice, clam juice, and water. Season with thyme, basil, red pepper, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice. Reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 15 minutes, until rice is tender.

2. Stir in shrimp, and cook 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Remove the bay leaf, and season with hot sauce.

2 medium whole artichokes
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cognac
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 small russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons hazelnuts
1 teaspoon salt

1. Cut the top half of each artichoke off and discard. Trim the tips of the stems and discard. Snap or cut off all the tough outer leaves until the tender, pale green leaves are reached. Carefully spread the leaves apart and, using a small spoon, remove the choke. Cut each artichoke into eighths and set aside.
2. In a sauce pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery. Fry until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add reserved artichoke, potato and chicken broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400 °F. Toast hazelnuts for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and rub skins with towel to remove. Coarsely chop and set aside.
5. Puree the soup in a blender, and strain to remove any remaining fibers.
6. Return soup to the sauce pan. Add salt, pepper, cream and cognac. Bring to a simmer, stirring well to mix.
7. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

3 C sliced onion
1/4 shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2teas. cayenne pepper
1TBS. chopped parsley
1/2teas. paprika
2TBS. oil
1TBS. brown sugar
1TBS. flour
4C chicken broth
1/4C white wine

In saucepan cook onion, cayenne and paprika in oil until onions are tender. Sprinkle brown sugar and cook a couple of minutes until onions are golden. Add broth, wine and heat until hot. Top with cheese and parsley.

1/4 lb. butter
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 lb. crab meat
1 pint. milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots and onions
1 pint. half and half

Combine butter and flour, cooking over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Sauté celery, carrot and onions. Heat milk and chicken broth together. Add butter, flour, seasoning, vegetables and crab meat. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Then add sherry and half and half. Simmer for another five minutes.

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt and white pepper to taste
24 oysters
1 Tbsp. blond roux
2 Tbsp. diced celery
4 butter chips
2 Tbsp. diced onion
2 Tbsp. diced carrots
Pinch of fresh thyme, rosemary, basil and parsley
2 oz. white wine
2 cups heavy cream

Saute celery, onion and carrots with fresh herbs in butter. Deglaze with white wine. Add oysters and cream. Bring cream to a roll. Reduce for three minutes, then add roux. Finish with butter chips, salt and white pepper to taste.