Best Cajun Seafood Gumbo Recipes

PAUL PRUDHOMME'S CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO WITH ANDOUILLE

Steps:

• Combine onions, bell peppers, and celery in a medium-size bowl and set aside. In a small bowl combine next 7 ingredients for seasoning; mix well and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke, about 5 minutes.
• Gradually add the flour, whisking constantly with a metal whisk. Continue cooking and whisking until roux is dark red-brown to black, 2-4 minutes.
• Immediately add half the vegetable mirepoix and stir well, switching to a spoon if necessary, 1 minute.
• Add the remaining vegetables, continuing to stir, about 2 minutes. Add the seasoning mix and continue to cook, about 2 minutes.
• Add garlic, stirring well for another minute. Remove from heat.
• Place the stock in a 5 1/2-qt saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to boil. Add roux mixture by spoonfuls, stirring until dissolved in between each addition. Bring back to boil.
• Add andouille and return to boil again; continue boiling for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add the shrimp, undrained oysters, and crab meat. Return to boil, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat, skim oil from surface, and serve over rice.

REAL CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO (FROM A LOUISIANIAN)

Steps:

• In a 7-quart cast iron dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until brown roux is achieved. Do not allow roux to scorch. Should black specks appear in roux, discard and begin again.
• Once roux is golden brown, add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté approximately 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted.
• Add andouille, blend well into vegetable mixture and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Add claw crabmeat and stir into roux. This will begin to add seafood flavor to the mixture.
• Slowly add hot shellfish stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until all is incorporated.
• Bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook approximately 30 minutes. Add additional stock if necessary to retain volume.
• Add green onions and parsley.
• Season to taste using salt, pepper and Louisiana Gold.
• Fold shrimp, lump crab meat, oysters and reserved oyster liquid into soup.
• Return to a low boil and cook approximately 5 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings and serve over cooked rice.

CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Prepare rice according to package directions.
• Make roux by browning flour in melted shortening.
• Add celery, onions and bell pepper and cook slowly until onion is clear.
• Add other ingredients with exception of shrimp and parsley.
• Simmer for at least 1 hour.
• Add shrimp about 10 minutes before serving.
• Just before serving add parsley.
• Serve over hot cooked rice.

CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• TO MAKE STOCK: boil the shrimp peelings and heads for approximately 2 hours.
• Start with plenty of water because you need to end up with enough for 10 cups.
• Make roux.
• This is done by browning flour and lard/oil stirring frequently until DARK brown.
• Add chopped vegetables and sauté.
• Pour 10 cups of stock (hot) in separate large pot and add roux slowly, stirring often until well blended.
• Add bay leaves and seasonings and peeled tomatoes.
• Sauté okra then add to pot (until no longer stringy).
• Add sausages to pot.
• Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes.
• Add shrimp, crab and oysters.
• Turn fire up.
• Cook 5 minutes and stir often.
• Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

NEW ORLEANS CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat water 3/4 full in 6 quart Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning* to water. Sir mixture and let it come to full boil. *for testing purposes I used Zatarain's
• Add 1-1/2 pounds Wild American shrimp with shells on 43/50 size. Cook until they barely turn pink. Remove from pot to cool. Reserve shrimp stock water.
• Peel shrimp and add peels back to stock. Boil for 7 minutes. Strain shrimp broth with colander. Reserve for use in gumbo.
• Heat 1/2 cups oil until hot on medium-high heat in iron skillet. Add flour and stir well. Stir and cook until color of roux you desire. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups shrimp broth stirring well. Set aside.
• In Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add bell peppers, celery, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 7 minutes stirring often. Add 3 cups broth.
• Stir in 1/2 cup of roux at a time stirring well after each addition.
• Add smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, Tabasco sauce, and salt to taste.
• Add okra and simmer on low for 5 minutes.
• Add shrimp, crawfish, and crab meat. Cook 2 minutes.
• To serve, place generous portion of cooked rice in bowls. Ladle gumbo on top of rice.
• Garnish with chopped green onions and serve additional Tabasco sauce on side.

DOUBLE ROUX CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Light Brown Cajun Roux: In a black iron pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat to approximately 300 degrees F.
• Using a wooden roux spoon, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly until the roux is peanut butter in color, approximately two minutes. Reserve Light Brown Cajun Roux at room temperature.
• Dark Brown Cajun Roux: Proceed as you would in the light brown Cajun roux recipe but continue cooking until the roux is the color of a light caramel. This roux should almost be twice as dark as the light brown roux but not as dark as chocolate.
• When dark brown Cajun roux is done add the onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes. Add the smoked andouille or smoked sausage and the seasonings, and about ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 minutes.
• Fry okra with a small amount of grease and salt until okra is soft. (Avoid sticking.) Stir okra into gumbo and cook for another 15 minutes, and then add the stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 30 minutes.
• With the gumbo on very low heat, add the Light Brown Cajun Roux and tomato paste. You'll find the greatest success when whisking the cool roux (that's room temperature cool, not refrigerator cool) into the hot gumbo. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• ----------> Freeze here for future use (if desired).
• Add blue crabs. Remove the hard top shell from the crabs (reserving for stuffed crabs or for shellfish stock), and break each crab in two down the middle. Remove the claws. Add to the stock.) Simmer for 10 minutes,.
• Add the shrimp 10 minutes before serving.
• Add the oysters and oyster liquor 5 minutes before serving.
• Add the crabmeat just before serving (don't cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is heated through).
• Add additional Shrimp Stock (or chicken broth) if gumbo is too thick.
• Taste and correct seasonings.
• Place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of rice in each bowl and ladle the gumbo over and around it. Serve with plenty of French bread and good beer or white wine.
• YIELD: About 16-18 entrée servings or 28-34 appetizer servings (omit hard shell crabs if serving cups of gumbo as an appetizer).