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Delicious Louisiana Seafood Gumbo

The best Seafood Gumbo! Rich and absolutely delicious, full of flavors from Louisiana.
Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine creole
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Gumbo

  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • Besh's recipe called for 6 jumbo blue crabs, each cut into 4 pieces as the next ingredient. I did not have, so I omitted. Add if you like because they will add amazing flavor!
  • 1 lb spicy smoked sausage links, sliced 1/2 inch thick (I used Slovacek's Bar-B-Que Seasoned Link Sausage
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup sliced fresh okra ( leave out if you some that don't like okra)
  • 3 qts Basic Seafood Stock

Basic Creole Spices

  • 2 tbsp celery salt
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tsps cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp ground allspice

For the Basic Louisiana White Rice

  • 1 tbsp chicken fat, extra-virgin olive oil, or butter
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-2 pinches salt

Instructions
 

For the Basic Creole Spices

    Using this spice blend is truly the easiest way to consistently achieve the flavors of Louisiana. Once combined, the spices will last for six months in an airtight container. (this recipe is for several dishes, you'll just add in "pinches" to this recipe until you get your desired flavor.

      For the Basic Louisiana White Rice

      • The recipe will work with most long-grain rices, including Popcorn Rice. Save some of the fat skimmed from your chicken stock to perfume the rice with many wonderful flavors.
        Put the fat, oil, or butter and the onions into a medium saucepan and sweat the onions over moderate heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the rice into the pan and stir for 2 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and salt.
        Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve

      For the Gumbo

      • Make a roux by heating the oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil. It will immediately begin to sizzle. Reduce the heat to moderate and continue whisking until the roux takes on a deep brown color, about 15 minutes. Add the onions, stirring them into the roux with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until the roux is a rich, dark brown, about 10 minutes.
        Add the blue crabs (if you are using) and smoked sausage and stir for a minute before adding the celery, bell peppers, garlic, and okra. Increase the heat to moderate and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the thyme, Shellfish Stock, and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and skim off any fat from the surface of the gumbo.
        Add the shrimp, oysters, crabmeat, and green onions to the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, Creole Spices, Worcestershire, and Tabasco to taste. I just add a little of these ingredients at a time, taste, then add more if needed. Serve in bowls over rice.