Louisiana Cajun Seafood Gumbo Recipe

     Nothing says "Cajun Food" more than Seafood Gumbo. Here is a basic Authentic Cajun recipe I use for gumbo.  Feel free to experiment with it, like any good Cajun would do.  While your Seafood Gumbo is cooking, snack on some crab dip.

 

First thing, skip towards the bottom of this page to make your seafood stock for your gumbo. Then come back up here.

In a large heavy steel ( not cast iron) pot, make a dark brown roux.

If you dont know how to make a Roux, go here.

3/4 Cup Olive oil  and 3/4 Cup all purpose flour

If you burn the roux, do NOT use it !

Start over. Oil and flour are cheap. Seafood is NOT !

After the Roux is dark brown, add:

2 medium onions, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup celery, chopped

1 teaspoon Cayenne

3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear, stirring constantly.

Then add:

8 cups water or preferably seafood/shrimp stock.** ( see bottom of this page)

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced (Optional, although I dont use them)

2 cups okra, chopped ( more or less, to taste)

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Bring contents to a light boil

Add whole blue ( cleaned) crabs, broken in 1/2 at this time, if you want.

Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Then add:

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup parsely, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

1 teasspoon dried thyme

Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Then add:

1 Lb medium ( preferably fresh Gulf coast) shrimp, cleaned and deveined.

1 Lb Lump crabmeat

Simmer for another 5 minutes.

TURN heat to VERY LOW..

Taste and add more salt or pepper as desired  This is also where I add a splash of Lea and Perrin's Worchestershire sauce, not normally used in Gumbo, but I like it.

Then Add:

1-2 dozen raw oysters

Cook only long enough for the edges of the oysters to curl.

Serve over white, long grain rice and sprinkle some file' powder over the top. ( file' powder is dried sassafras leaves)

Add Tabasco or Louisiana Hot sauce to taste.

 

** Seafood stock:

4-6 quarts cold water

Shrimp shells and heads, reserved from the shrimp that have been peeled for the final step of the gumbo (the heads are very important!)

4 ounces onions, chopped

2 ounces celery with tops, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked

A few parsley stems

1 bayleaf

Crab claws, if you have them

Some folks also add a 1/2 can of chicken broth. I dont.

 

Let this simmer for at least an hour.

Remember that during the simmering process, it's best not to stir the stock. The end result will be much clearer if it is not agitated while simmering. Strain thoroughly. The best way to do this is to ladle the stock out and pour it through a strainer which has been lined with a couple of layers of damp cheesecloth.

This recipe is supplied especially for Phil, my friend in the U.K.

Enjoy it, old mouldybits !   If you eat enough of this Seafood Gumbo recipe, you'll be talking like a Cajun within a month.

~Froggy~

Part time Louisiana Food critic and beach bum in training