We make seafood gumbo, grilled and fried oysters. We started the custom a few years ago, after wanting to change things up instead of having a traditional dinner.

Two days before Christmas, my dad goes to his favorite seafood shop in Mobile, called Mudbugs. He buys a quart of oysters and about five dozen oysters in the shell, five pounds of shrimp and a pound of crab claw meat and jumbo lump crab meat. The next day, our family prepares the seafood: we clean the shrimp, shuck the oysters and pick out the shells from the claw meat. Shucking means to open up the shell and remove, in this case, the oyster from said shell. Normally a knife is involved to pry open the shell, so gloves can be a necessary precaution.
On Christmas morning, my parents start making the roux for the gumbo. Roux is the base of the gumbo and takes anywhere from 25-50 minutes to make depending on how dark you want it. It is very tricky to make because you have to stir constantly. So, if you stop for even just a few seconds, you could ruin the roux. However, if you are scared about ruining your roux or just do not have the time to make it yourself, the easiest option is to buy it pre-made – something that my parents learned after ruining our roux last year. Smarter choice on their part. After the roux is done, we begin chopping bell peppers and celery to give our gumbo flavor and texture. Add all of the prepared shrimp, oysters and claw meat, and voilà, the gumbo is ready.

For the grilled and fried oysters, my dad shucks them (while my brother and I steal a few raw ones because they are delicious) and then he either coats the oysters in an egg and flour mixture and fries them, or puts garlic and butter and parmesan cheese to grill them up. The oysters are delicious anyway they are served: grilled, fried, or raw.