I was born in Mississippi and grew up playing along the bayou. As young children my cousins, siblings and I learned to spear fish, flounder, crab and fish with a pole too. At night we would get our gas lamps ready and head for the beach or the bayou front at low tide and wade through the water to spear a catch. We always kept crab traps out for routine checking during the day from the dock. And when we caught these bayou treasures it meant cleaning and storage or cooking. I think I have known how to clean and prepare a crab since I was about 5 years old. I never enjoyed the fish cleaning process! And I have beheaded thousands of shrimp for cooking or freezing for later use. A nasty job indeed!
We also had several ponds on our family's property, one was our swimming hole and an interesting spot to fish. The water was brackish due to its close proximity to the bayou and a culvert that ran under the road, which allowed the exchange and mixture of waters. We had an interesting mix of both saltwater and fresh water fish. And we were only minutes from the local dock where fresh shrimp and other seafood were sold, not quite a market…but fresh off the boats!
For almost every special occasion year around, we had gumbo at family gatherings. I have fond memories of family gatherings that usually added up to twenty five or more of us in the large dining room that faced the bayou. And all of our meals ended up with someone playing the grand piano. Unfortunately the old family home place was lost in Katrina. But those memories are always as sweet as ever when I begin a big pot of gumbo! I hope that you will enjoy the recipe.
LEFT CLICK YOUR MOUSE OVER THE RECIPES AND IT SHOULD ENLARGE FOR PRINTING AND READING PURPOSE.
