Seafood gumbo

[Eaglelox]

is it alright to throw some clean clams and mussels in the gumbo at the end with the crab and shrimp. thanks

 

[Robo410]

I think: it's your pot of gumbo...do it!

 

[pdswife]

I don't see why not. I would. Go for it.

 

[amber]

I'm a seafood lover, so I say go for it! Just make sure to get all the sand out, and remove the beards from the mussels.

 

[Eaglelox]

tell me about this de-sanding and beard thing please.

 

[boufa06]

Generally mussels especially the green-lipped type have beards and some sand in them. To prepare, scrub and wash thoroughly then lightly cook them with some water in a pot. Once they start to open, remove from heat and pull out the beards from within. Clean well. Then add them to your gumbo with or without the shell along with the stock. Stock from mussels are very sweet and tasty and can be used to flavour other dishes.

 

[Constance]

I saw something about putting the mussels in a bowl of water with cornmeal sprinkled in it. It's supposed to make the mussels give up their sand.

What I learned about gumbo in southern Louisiana was that the cook used what what was on hand. If you've got clams and mussels on hand, go for it. I'd prefer that to the raccoon I had in one gumbo.
Actually, the gumbo was quite delicious. I noticed bits of really dark meat in it that I thought was beef, but there were lots of other goodies in it too, and I didn't pay that much attention.
It was only later, when I mentioned the "beef" in the gumbo to my in-laws, that I found out what it was. They all had a good laugh, then gently informed me that it was raccoon.

 

[xhtnlrcgfytn]

no holds barred seafood gumbo

Should anyone want this recipe, here it is...... the author seems to say it's about as good as it gets.

 

[cjs]

I would only suggest adding the mussels and clams before the shrimp - they will take longer to cook.

 

[goboenomo]

What exactly is gumbo?

 

[Andy M.]

It's a soup/stew with origins in Louisiana. It can contain any combination of meats or seafoods and is thickened with a roux most of the time.

 

[goboenomo]

Oh...hmmm.
Sounds good.... I think.
I'll have to try that some day....

 

[ChefJune]

tell me about this de-sanding and beard thing please.

Most mussels we get here in US are farmed and have no beards nor sand. Still, it doesn't hurt to pick them over and scrub the shells JUST before adding to a recipe. Clams, on the other hand, often have sand inside them.

Don't wash bivalves until just before adding to your recipe, or the fresh water will kill them!