Description
Hearty Louisiana seafood gumbo brings Southern comfort to dinner tables with rich, spicy flavors that dance across your palate. Simmering shrimp, crab, and andouille sausage nestled in a deep roux promises a memorable meal you’ll savor to the last delicious spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood:
- 1 lb (454 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 lb (454 g) lump crab meat (fresh or canned)
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
Base and Seasonings:
- 1/2 cup flour (for roux)
- 1/2 cup butter (for roux)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (optional, to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Additional Ingredients:
- 1 can (14.5 ounces / 411 g) diced tomatoes
- 6 cups seafood or chicken broth
Serving:
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Craft a deep, mahogany-colored roux by melting butter in a large pot and whisking flour continuously until it transforms into a rich, chocolate-brown mixture, developing complex flavors through patient stirring.
- Introduce the Cajun holy trinity of vegetables – onions, bell peppers, and celery – directly into the roux, sautéing until they become translucent and aromatic, releasing their subtle sweetness.
- Enhance the base with minced garlic, creating a fragrant foundation that will permeate the entire gumbo with robust, earthy undertones.
- Incorporate diced tomatoes, seafood broth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme, and bay leaves, stirring thoroughly to create a harmonious liquid landscape.
- Reduce heat and allow the gumbo to gently simmer, covered, for approximately one hour, permitting the flavors to intertwine and develop depth while occasionally stirring to prevent sticking.
- Carefully introduce delicate shrimp and tender crab meat during the final cooking stage, cooking just until the seafood turns pink and reaches perfect tenderness.
- Serve the gumbo over steamed rice, crowned with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, creating a vibrant, Louisiana-inspired culinary experience that celebrates coastal flavors and traditional cooking techniques.
Notes
- Mastering the Roux: Achieving the perfect dark brown color requires constant attention and slow, steady whisking to prevent burning.
- Heat Control Matters: Maintain a medium-low temperature when developing the roux to ensure deep flavor without scorching.
- Seafood Selection Flexibility: Swap shrimp and crab with other seafood like crawfish, oysters, or white fish to customize the gumbo’s taste and texture.
- Spice Level Adjustment: Easily modify the heat by increasing or decreasing hot sauce and Cajun seasoning according to personal preference.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 412
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1180 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg