Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients

Seafood

• 2 lbs shell shrimp and save the shells
• 1 lb crawfish tails
• 1 tbs crab meat
• 1 lb oysters with their liquid
• ½ tsp MSG
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp rice wine

Shrimp Stock

• 250 g 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 250 g 2 onions, chopped
• 200 g celery stalks (with leaves), chopped
• 1 C white wine
• 2 tbs avocado oil

Roux and Gumbo

• 1 C flour, sifted
• 1 C avocado oil
• 300 g onions, chopped
• 200 g celery stalks (with leaves), chopped
• 220 g bell pepper, chopped
• 20 g garlic
• 3 qt water (2,840 ml)
• 1 lb frozen okra
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 tbs parsely, chopped

Directions

1. Prep Shrimp & Stock: Peel shrimp and reserve shells. Season shrimp with sugar, MSG, white pepper, oil, and wine; set aside.
2. Build Shrimp Stock: Sauté stock mirepoix in 2 tbs oil over medium until soft. Add shrimp shells and sauté another 2 minutes. Add white wine and reduce completely, then add water and simmer 1½ hours, reducing to about 2 quarts. Strain and discard solids.
3. Make Roux: Heat oil in an enameled Dutch oven until very hot. Add flour and stir constantly until a dark brown roux forms.
4. Add Trinity: Stir in onions, celery, and bell pepper; cook 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Build Base: Gradually whisk in shrimp stock to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour.
6. Add Seafood: Add crawfish, then shrimp, then oysters, then crabmeat (order matters). Simmer 5-10 minutes, just until cooked. Seafood will not take long to cook, so be aware.
7. Season: Adjust with salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and Louisiana hot sauce. Remember there has been no seasoning to this point so add gradually and taste as you go.
8. Serve: Serve over rice, topped with chopped parsley and optional jumbo lump crabmeat.

Chef's Notes

• For roux, use 1 cup oil + 1 cup flour to thicken 2 quarts (~1900 ml) liquid. You can't walk away from a roux, so trust the process and be prepared to stay with it until it's done. A good roux is the heart of this dish and it's a labor of love.
• Leek is an excellent addition to the stock mirepoix. Crab shells add exceptional depth. A good fish market should have some available.
• Backfin crabmeat is more flavorful for seafood gumbo; reserve jumbo lump for topping individual bowls for visual appeal.
• If oysters are very large, cut them after cooking, not before. Pre‑cutting causes them to break down and muddy the final texture.

The Gumbo Page