Description
Louisiana Seafood Gumbo is a rich and flavorful dish that combines a variety of seafood with a hearty roux and the Cajun ‘holy trinity’ of vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or butter, for richer flavor)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced (green preferred)
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb (450 g) smoked sausage or andouille, sliced
- 6 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock + 1 tsp seafood base)
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes (optional, for a Creole-style gumbo)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
- 1 lb (450 g) shrimp, peeled & deveined
- ½ lb (225 g) crab meat (lump or claw)
- ½ lb (225 g) crawfish tails (optional)
- ½ lb (225 g) oysters (optional, for extra flavor)
- Cooked white rice
- Chopped green onions
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture turns a dark chocolate brown (20–30 minutes).
- Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic into the roux. Sauté until softened.
- Stir in sausage slices and cook until browned.
- Slowly whisk in seafood stock.
- Add tomatoes (if using), bay leaves, thyme, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.
- Simmer for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add shrimp, crab, crawfish, and oysters. Cook just until shrimp are pink and seafood is cooked through (about 5 minutes).
- Ladle gumbo into bowls, serve with a scoop of white rice.
- Garnish with green onions and parsley.
Notes
- Be patient while making the roux; it is crucial for the flavor.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to your spice preference.
- Feel free to customize the seafood based on availability.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 100mg