For Thanksgiving this year, my Mom and I took a week-long road trip down to New Orleans. While in the French Quarter, we enjoyed some of the best food we’ve ever consumed and the seafood gumbo was certainly as good as advertised.
For every meal, I had a bowl of gumbo at a different restaurant and considered in every bite how I would make my own pot of New Orleans seafood gumbo on a cold day back in Virginia. This recipe is what I came up with 🙂
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
6 cups chicken stock (seafood or vegetable will work as well)
1 tbsp concentrated chicken or seafood broth or base
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cups cut okra (thaw if frozen)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well (use the kind with onions or garlic for extra flavor)
1/4 lb of lump crabmeat
4 cups of cooked, peeled shrimp
1 cup of sliced andouille sausage (or cajun-style turkey sausage)
– In a large stockpot, mix the flour and oil and cook over medium heat until it is dark brown in color. Whisk the mixture constantly to remove all flour lumps and to prevent scorching.
– Add the onion, garlic, celery, and pepper to the roux and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
– Begin slowly adding the stock and soup base to the mixture, stirring constantly.
– Add all remaining ingredients, with the exception of the seafood.
– Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
– Add seafood ingredients and continue cooking for 15 additional minutes.
– Serve gumbo in a soup bowl over hot rice. Garnish with green onions or parsley as desired.
Linda’s Notes:
– I used Swanson’s seafood flavor boost in addition to the liquid stock to add more seafood flavor
– I chose to only use a roux to thicken the stew, but if you prefer a very thick gumbo you can also add file powder.
– I used very well-drained chopped tomatoes that were infused with basil, garlic, and onion for added flavor. Crushed tomatoes could be used for more of a “red” gumbo.
– For a “healthier” gumbo, I used olive oil, turkey sausage, and served over brown rice with a dash of olive oil.
– This recipe could be easily converted into chicken, vegetarian, or vegan gumbo. This could also be prepared in a slow-cooker, with the roux prepared early and the seafood added later.
Delusions of Chefery 