A 140 year-old recipe: Shrimp Gombo by Lafcadio Hearn

During his time in New Orleans in the 1880s, Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) wrote extensively about all aspects of Créole culture, including its cuisine. He collected many recipes which he set down in La Cuisine Créole. Here's his recipe for Maigre Shrimp Gombo for Lent.

Historyeye cooked it following his directions and thought it was quite nice.

Historyeye | Lafcadio Hearn's Créole Shrimp Gombo

"Boil a pint of shrimps in a quart of water; give them only one boil up; then set them to drain and cool, reserving the water they were boiled in. Chop up three dozen okra pods; two onions, and a pod of pepper, and a little parsley, and fry them brown in a little lard or butter; add to the okra to the shrimps and the strained water in which they were boiled. Let them boil for an hour, and season with salt and pepper to taste....All gombo should be thickened with a little flour - browned if preferred - and stirred in just before adding the water; then boil an hour."

Historyeye | Lafcadio Hearn's Créole Shrimp Gombo

#lafcadiohearn