Gumbo is a comforting bowl of goodness full of seafood and veggies.
Mardi Gras is over and I'm back from Disney World, so I need something to cure the post-trip blues plus warm me up with this cold weather. That something is gumbo. Seafood gumbo specifically since it's Ash Wednesday, and I won't be eating meat today.
Good gumbo is one of my favorite things on a menu but only when it's good gumbo. Bad gumbo is such a crime. Let's not eat bad gumbo.
Gumbo can seem like a daunting dish to make, but it doesn't have to be. Yes, it is a long process but every step is worth it, and it's not necessarily very hard. You just need to make it on a day where you have a few hours to be in and out of your kitchen.
To start, you make a seafood stock by boiling shrimp shells, crabs, and vegetables for a few hours. I like to chop all my veggies for the gumbo and throw in all the veggie scraps -- like garlic & onion skins, celery leaves, etc. This is not an intensive process. You'll just let it boil for a few hours.
Then you will heat your large soup pot or dutch oven over medium and make the roux. Stir in the flour and stir constantly for 5-15 minutes {or use this instant roux}. Do not walk away! Your flour will burn and it's upsetting and you'll have to start over.
Then add in the oil and cook another 2 minutes. Add in all your veggies and stir everything together. After those have softened, you'll add the garlic and then slowly stir in your stock, tomatoes, okra, and spices.
This simmers for about an hour or two. It should thicken and turn into wonderfulness.
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About 30 minutes before serving, you'll stir in your peeled shrimp {and reserved gumbo crabs if using} and let them cook about 30 minutes. At this time, you can cook your rice {I use my perfect rice recipe that is life changing} or serve over cauliflower rice.
If you aren't interested in making your own stock, just use 8 cups seafood stock. You can leave out the gumbo crabs if you can't find any, but I just love the extra flavor it gives. Also, if you buy peeled shrimp, you'll use about 1.5 pounds of peeled shrimp.
You can use lots of different types of flour. I have successfully used white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and brown rice flour. This batch was used with rice flour, and I thought it turned out great.
This makes a big batch, and gumbo gets better the longer it sits.
Day old gumbo is so fantastic, it'll cure any post-trip or post-Mardi Gras blues.
Seafood Gumbo
Ingredients
- 12 cups water
- 2 pounds unpeeled shrimp
- 6 gumbo crabs
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
- 2 TBSP flour
- 1 TBSP oil
- 6 stalks celery diced {1 1/2 cups}
- 2 large onions diced {3 cups}
- 2 bell peppers diced {2 cups}
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups seafood stock
- 15 ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 16 ounce bag frozen chopped okra
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Make the stock
- Fill a large stock pot with 12 cups water. Peel the shrimp and add the shrimp shells to the water. Add the gumbo crabs, carrots, and leftover vegetable scraps {from the onion, bell peppers, celery, and garlic} to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours. Strain and reserve stock {you'll need 8 cups}.
Make the gumbo
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the flour and stir constantly for 5-15 minutes, until it is golden brown in color.
- Add in the oil and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes. Add in celery, onions, and bell peppers, and stir everything together. Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and then add in tomatoes, okra, bay leaves, thyme, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Slowly stir in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in your peeled shrimp {and reserved gumbo crabs if using} and parsley, and cook 30 minutes. At this time, you can cook your rice if using.
Notes
*If you aren't interested in making your own stock, skip the first step and just use 8 cups seafood stock in the gumbo.
*You can leave out the gumbo crabs if you can't find any, but I just love the extra flavor it gives.
*If you buy already peeled shrimp, you'll use about 1.5 pounds of peeled shrimp.
*Gumbo freezes really well!
*This is based off The Plantation Cookbook from The Junior League of New Orleans.
*Makes 16 cups.
Meme
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Deanna Segrave-Daly says
ooh boy - can't wait to make this one! pinning NOW.
Meme says
Thanks for sharing! It's DELISH! 🙂
Lauren @ Eating with a Purpose says
Another NOLA recipe of yours I'm going to have to try!
Meme says
Yes you absolutely must try it, Lauren!!!
Karina says
Made this last night for my boyfriend and I! We were both very impressed!! 5 stars for sure! I split the recipe in half, used veggie bouillon instead of making my own broth and left out the crabs. Will definitely be making again and recommending to others 😀
Meme says
YOU MADE MY DAY! So glad y'all liked it 🙂 xxxo
Laura says
Question. The first instruction says to stir the flour 5-15 mins until it is brown. You do not add butter as in a traditional rioux? The flour alone turns brown?
Meme says
Yes! You are correct in that you do not add butter (like a traditional roux). You will basically be cooking the flour in a dry pot by stirring constantly. It will darken like it does if you have butter or oil in the pot. Once it is cooked (and is a dark golden brown), you'll add the oil and continue on with the recipe.