Recipe Manuscript

Crab Gumbo

Name: Crab Gumbo
Prep time: PTPT40M
Cook time: PTPT1H35M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 225 g veal (or ½ chicken, cut into small pieces); 300–400 g fresh crab meat (from 12–15 crabs, or substitute with high-quality lump crab meat); 15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter; 50 g fried ham, cut into small pieces; Salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste; Steamed white rice, for serving

1903

From the treasured pages of Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages

Written by Célestine Eustis

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1903

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Crab Gumbo

"Take half a pound of nice veal, cut it in slices; or take half a chicken, which you cut in small pieces. Brown it well, as you do for the gumbo filet. Let it simmer on the fire an hour and a half. Pick very carefully twelve or fifteen crabs, keeping the flesh only. Warm them up in a separate saucepan with a spoonful of butterr for a few minutes. Pour it then in your pot over your veal. Add a few small pieces of fried ham. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Before you mix the veal and crabs take out all the large pieces of veal, so that the crabs may predominate. It should be of a thick consistency. Serve hot, with dry rice in a separate dish. —JOSEPHINE NICAUD, New Orleans"

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is emblematic of early 20th-century cookery writing: direct, concise, and written for those already comfortable in the kitchen. Ingredients are described by proportion and feel, not scientific precision, and instructions often assume knowledge of basics like browning meat or simmering stock. Older spellings—like 'flesh' for crab meat—and phrasing such as 'warm them up in a separate saucepan' reflect the more conversational, intuitive approach of the period. No measurements are given for salt or pepper, in keeping with a time when cooks seasoned 'to taste' and relied on experience.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages (1903)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Célestine Eustis

Era

1903

Publisher

R.H. Russell

Background

Take a delicious journey back in time with this charming bilingual collection of Creole and American recipes, crafted for cozy households. Célestine Eustis blends French flair with Southern soul, guiding both the novice and seasoned gourmand through the distinct flavors and delightful traditions of old Creole kitchens.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the turn-of-the-century Creole kitchens of New Orleans, a vibrant crossroads of French, Spanish, African, and American cuisine. Published in the 1903 cookbook 'La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages’ by Célestine Eustis, it embodies the resourceful, flavor-driven cooking of Creole households, where the finesse of French techniques met local ingredients and traditions. Crab gumbo, as presented here, exemplifies the luxurious yet unfussy fare favored by home cooks who prized both seasonality and thrift, combining accessible meats like chicken or veal with the sweet bounty of local Gulf crabs.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks in 1903 would have used a cast iron stew pot or heavy-bottomed saucepan for browning and simmering the meat. A sharp kitchen knife and wooden chopping board were essential for cutting the meats, and a large spoon or ladle for stirring. A slotted spoon or tongs would have helped fish out the big pieces of veal. A separate small saucepan, likely tinned or copper, was used for warming the crab meat with butter. For serving, rice was boiled in a separate pot (often over a wood or coal stove), and gumbo was ladled hot into deep bowls, with rice offered on the side.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 35 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

8 oz veal (or ½ chicken, cut into small pieces)
10–14 oz fresh crab meat (from 12–15 crabs, or substitute with high-quality lump crab meat)
1 tbsp (½ oz) unsalted butter
2 oz fried ham, cut into small pieces
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

Begin by slicing 8 ounces of veal or preparing ½ of a chicken, cut into small pieces.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, brown the meat well over medium-high heat, as one would start a proper gumbo.
Lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 1.5 hours, allowing flavors to concentrate.
Meanwhile, meticulously pick the meat from about 12–15 fresh crabs, reserving only the flesh.
(If using blue crab meat, aim for 10–14 ounces.) In a separate saucepan, warm the crab meat with 1 tablespoon (½ ounce) of butter for several minutes, just until warmed and aromatic.
Add the crab and its buttery juices to the main pot of simmering veal or chicken.
Toss in a handful of small fried ham pieces (about 2 ounces).
Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Before mixing the veal and crabs together completely, remove any large pieces of veal so that the crab flavor becomes dominant.
The finished gumbo should be thick and lush—serve it hot, accompanied by steamy, dry-cooked white rice for a true Creole presentation.

Estimated Calories

450 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend some time preparing the veal or chicken, picking crab meat, and getting your ingredients ready before cooking. The main cook time is for simmering the meat to concentrate the flavors, then adding crab and ham at the end. This recipe makes about 4 generous servings. Each serving is an estimate based on standard ingredient nutrition values.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.