Louisiana Seafood Gumbo Recipe (Rigged)
This is the one dish I was always afraid to attempt. Why? Because it’s a staple in Louisiana and everyone who eats it will critique it. I have posted previously about Hubby’s cooking prowess and how he is a fan of Food Network‘s Alton Brown. Hubby shared Alton Brown’s recipe for seafood gumbo with me a few years ago and I rigged it.
This recipe is simple and produces a fantastic outcomme. How do I know? Because the best cook that I know ate mine and said so…my maternal grandmother!
This recipe yields 16 to 18 servings
Ingredients
- 12 fluid ounces vegetable oil
- 16 ounces all-purpose flour (measure with a food scale)
- 4½ pounds raw, whole, head-on medium-sized shrimp
- 6 quarts water
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cups diced green peppers
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1¼ cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on your tolerance of heat)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound fresh crab fingers
- 2 to 3 pounds andouille sausage, cut into ¼-inch pieces and browned
- 3 tablespoons gumbo filé powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron pot (or a deep cast iron skillet) and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, for 1½-2 hours, whisking every 30 minutes throughout the cooking process.
While the roux is in the oven, you can de-head, peel and de-vein the shrimp as well as make shrimp stock.
Tip: I chop my ingredients, de-head, peel and de-vein my shrimp, and make shrimp stock in advance (sometimes 1 day) to cut down on time.
Shrimp stock: Place the heads and shells in a pot along with the 6 quarts of water and a dash of salt, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids. Set aside liquid for later.
Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator.
Brown the sausage and set aside.
Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat.
Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers, garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Be careful not to let it stick. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. After a few minutes, gradually add the shrimp stock while stirring continually.
Carefully transfer contents of cast iron pot to a stainless steel or similar pot over medium-high heat. Be sure to scrape out all that goodness from the cast iron pot into the new pot. Continue to stir. May need to adjust temperature. Be careful because it is easy to burn the roux at this point.
Cover and cook for 35 minutes. A rolling boil is good.
Add the shrimp, crab fingers, and sausage and stir to combine. Add the filé powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Traditionally served over rice.
SN: I have always eaten gumbo without rice.
Have you ever made or eaten seafood gumbo?
Do you cook with a dutch oven or cast iron pot often? When done with your cast iron pot, do you salt it or wash it?
Which seafood items would you use? Same as I did? Something different or extra?
See ya later,
Kimberly
omg stop it- I can not unsee this! Looks amazing. It’s all in the rue…
I just made some two weeks ago. Nothing like having family and friends enjoy your food. Thanks Kristin!
I love gumbo! It may be my favourite thing in the world but I don’t get to have it often. The rue seems so complicated to me and I can never get it right. But I’ve never considered using the oven to make it. I’ll have to try that out next time. Stop by my link-up, I would love to read more of your recipes!
I struggled with the roux in the beginning too. Just takes practice. Thanks for commenting, Amy.
Thanks for coming and linking up at #TheWeekendSocial. Please be sure to come back this week starting Thursday at 9PM EST on KitchenDreaming.com ! I hope to see you there! Pinned
Enjoyed finding a new linky party. Thanks Dina!
Hello gorgeous! What an amazing recipe. Oh Yum! Pinned. We hope to see you at our party tonight at 7 pm. It is so fun to party with you! http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/
Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls
I appreciate it, Kim!
This looks amazing! I’m pinning it AND trying it this week!
Let me know how it turns out, Leila!
Coming from the Gulf Coast, I have a deep appreciation for Seafood Gumbo, especially! Happy SITS day 😉
It’s such a comforting dish. Thank you, Jean!
Looks really good! I’ve never had gumbo but would love to!
I normally wind up only having one bowl of it, because I make it and then share it with whomever stops by. LOL. Thanks Tara!
oh man that looks so yummy and perfect…sighs…there is no way I could make that, but I can definitely buy some…but won’t be as good.
You could start with a small batch and see how it goes. I’m sure you could do it, Karen.
I love gumbo – and my family loves when I cook them seafood – so this looks like an absolute winner. Will have to pin it.
Thanks Kriss. I don’t make it as often as I would like to because it’s time consuming. But oh so worth it when I do.
You know I’ve never had Gumbo!! It’s one thing I definitely want to try though!! Thanks so much for linking up with us at the MaMade Blog Hop, I hope you’re having a great weekend 🙂
I’m having an awesome weekend, Michelle. Try my recipe and let me know what you think.
You’re absolutely right, if your grandma eats something you made and loves it then it must be fantastic! I think my hubby would love this, too!
Hope you try the recipe and love it. Thanks Angela!
I’m allergic to shrimp but down here on the farm, we are ALWAYS doing a low country boil & the country boys have figured out that the city girl (me) doesnt need the epipen if they spoon me out a couple bowls & then throw the shrimp in last, ya reckon we could do the same thing here??? Thanks for sharing this recipe on the #LOBS weekend! ~A~
Don’t want you to need the epipen, Amber. Whew! Yes, I think you could do the same thing. Or use chicken and sausage instead.
OMG! I love seafood gumbo and this recipe looks to be fabulous! I’ll definitely be trying it and soon! This looks too delicious to pass up!
Thanks so much for sharing on Turn It Up Tuesday, Kimberly! We always love having you!
Please do! Let me know how it turns out, Natasha. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this! My husband is from Louisiana and loves making gumbo. I’m thinking I’m going to surprise him with this recipe very soon 🙂
Let me know how it turns out, Michelle!
Gumbo is on of my favorite meals. This recipe looks so delicious. I will have to try it soon.
Will keep you posted on the outcome 🙂
Stopped by from Blogelina. Will follow you on social media:)
Thank you for commenting, Manal. It’s a great recipe. I hope you enjoy it.
I just pinned your recipe (for some other people) ’cause I’m never ever ever ever ever gonna try it. Just imagine a vegetarian raised girl tryin’ the make gumbo for my husband and his Louisiana folk – they ain’t tryin’ to like it.
You crack me up, girl! Thanks for pinning.
I would love to try this. I love gumbo. My father in law makes an awesome one but I haven’t made gumbo in years…not sure why. Pinning!
It’s a lot of prep work, but so worth it!
This is right up my alley. I love me some gumbo and with this cold…yes I think I will add this to my dinner for next week.
Great, Kita! Let me know how it turns out.
My husband wanted to make a gumbo for the new year – that is until he discovered that they don’t sell file` powder around these parts. We had to settle on jambalaya instead. I’ll admit, I have always been terrified of making the roux. Growing up, I always heard, the base of a good gumbo is a good roux. Your recipe makes it sound so easy, I would have never thought to do it in the oven. I’ll have to try that the next time we’re able to make one.
Happy New Year, Kennie! I saw your comment while I was in the grocery store, so I grabbed some file’ powder for you. I owe you from the September Challenge. I’m putting it in the mail tomorrow!
I seriously want to try my hand at this, I love eating it but never attempted preparing.
I change up the seafood sometimes. I always do andouille sausage and shrimp, but I may add oysters or lump crabmeat too. Happy New Year, Joi!
Thanks! I will check out both posts. It’s great to get info from someone who lives in the area.
I could talk all day about New Orleans and Louisiana!
Hi, I am stopping by from Social Media Sunday. I pinned and liked your recipe. I followed your social media links.
I noticed you are from Louisiana. We are going to visit New Orleans for a few days soon. Any suggestions? Do you have any posts that might give me some info?
Hi Betty! Thank you. Check out my post on Red Fish Grill. Also my post on the city tour that I did earlier this year. Enjoy your visit and Happy New Year!