How to Make Seafood Gumbo

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By Feather
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Chicken Gumbo

Seafood gumbo is a favorite dish in Louisiana and a good one to warm you up in the cold winter months. We usually serve gumbo for our Christmas Eve dinner and I've been thinking of it and looking forward to eating it so much--it is sorta stuck in my head. I thought I would share with you my recipe and how I make seafood gumbo. I hope you get a chance to try this recipe and enjoy it as much as I do!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

5 qt. pot
Oil
Flour
Seafood such as shrimp, crawfish, scallops, crab legs or any shellfish
Onions (chopped finely)
Green Onions (chopped finely)
Okra (Trappey's canned is great)
Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Cayenne Pepper

Step 1

So you want to make seafood gumbo? Then get out your pot, turn burner on medium heat and add cooking oil. You will want enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Rule of thumb--the more oil you add, the more roux you will have. After you have cooked this a few times, you will get the hang of adding more or less oil and flour!
Step 2

After your oil has heated up, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of regular white flour (either self-rising or not) to the oil. Have whisk or spoon handy to stir. The key to making a good roux, is to keep it from burning. You do that by stirring, stirring and more stirring. Making a roux is not for those who are impatient! But it is well worth the trouble and extra time in preparation when you sit down to eat!
Step 3

Your roux will start to brown after about 5 minutes. For gumbo, you want a dark roux which will give a full flavor to your finished gumbo. When your roux acquires the desired color (you want it to look almost burnt, but not of course), you are ready to add your chopped onion. Once again, you will stir. Cook until your onion is translucent.
Step 4

Adding water, photo by Cohdra

Once your onions are done, you are ready to add a cup of warm to hot water. Again, you will need to stir, stir, stir. You will probably need to add more water to your roux, as the mixture thickens quickly. However, do not go overboard, because the seafood and vegetables added later will add some liquid to your gumbo.
Step 5

You will let this simmer for a few minutes and adjust the consistency if needed by adding more water. You can now add your seasonings and okra. I usually toss in a dab of salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic if I did not add fresh garlic to the roux at the time of the onions. Stir and simmer.
Step 6

Now you are ready to add your final ingredients, which are the green onions and seafood. You will want to put the seafood in last. It only takes shrimp (for instance) 3-4 minutes to fully cook. Overcooked shrimp just shrinks.
Step 7

Now that you have everything in your pot, your gumbo should have started to smell wonderful by now. Let the seafood cook for a couple of minutes and your seafood gumbo will be ready to serve over cooked rice. Enjoy!