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Gumbo for Mardi Gras Question

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Mardi Gras Gumbo Question

I’m planning to make Alton Brown’s Shrimp Gumbo for Mardi Gras, but I ran into a little snag. The recipe instructs to boil shrimp shells and heads to reduce 2 quarts of water to 1 quart. However, the shrimp I bought only have shells (including tails) and no heads. I’m concerned that the reduction might lack the deep shrimp flavor, so I picked up a quart of seafood stock as well.

Here’s my question: for the best flavor, should I:
1) Use only the shrimp shells I have and follow the recipe as is?
2) Skip the shrimp shells entirely and just use the seafood stock?
3) Combine the seafood stock with 1 quart of water and the shrimp shells, then reduce it all to 1 quart?

I’m particularly worried about reducing the stock too much and ending up with a bitter taste. What do you think?

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One response to “Gumbo for Mardi Gras Question”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    For the best flavor profile in your gumbo, I would recommend option 3: combining the seafood stock with 1 quart of water and the shrimp shells, then reducing it to 1 quart. This way, you’ll get the benefit of the shrimp flavor from the shells while also enriching it with the depth of the seafood stock.

    As for concerns about bitterness, keep an eye on the reduction process. Since you’re only reducing it to 1 quart and not letting it simmer down for too long, it should minimize the risk of bitterness developing. Just make sure to taste along the way and adjust seasoning as needed. This combination should give you a robust and flavorful base for your gumbo. Enjoy making it for Mardi Gras!

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