Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Serves/Makes: 6 – 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound shrimp
• 1 pound crab meat or 6 hard-shell crabs cooked and cleaned
• 12 oysters, shucked with liquid
• 2 quarts beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1 cup smoked ham, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cups okra, frozen or fresh
• 2 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 cup cooked rice, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon Gumbo File* powder

How to cook Seafood Gumbo:

• Combine the stock, ham, bay leaves, red pepper, and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a large kettle. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the roux – Heat the bacon drippings in a skillet over a medium heat. Stir in the flour until absorbed. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until flour is dark brown and the roux smells nutty, about 25 minutes. Be careful not to burn the flour or the roux is ruined.
• In a separate large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the okra, onions, green peppers, celery, and garlic. Sauté until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes longer.
• Add the sautéed vegetables and the roux to the hot beef stock along with remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the ketchup, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, covered, 1 hour.
• Stir in shrimp, crab meat, and scallions into the gumbo. Cook 10 minutes. Add the oysters, 1 cup of cooked rice, and gumbo file and cook 10 minutes. Check the seasoning and serve over hot cooked rice.

Note:
The Seafood Gumbo recipe easy to cook and so good!

Comments:
Named for the Bantu work for okra, gombo, gumbo is a thick stew-like soup from Louisiana. A specialty born of the Creole cooking of New Orleans, gumbo often contains okra and a variety of meat or seafood. It usually includes a dark roux, a well-cooked paste of flour and oil, which thickens the stew and adds a silky texture, as well as a deep, rich background flavor. If okra is unavailable, you can substitute green beans or zucchini.

*File powder, also called Gumbo File, is a spice made from dried and ground sassafras leaves. It is used in the making of some types of gumbo, a Creole and Cajun soup/stew. It is sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and a thickening agent, giving it a distinctive flavor and texture. File can provide thickening when okra is not in season.

This recipe for Seafood Gumbo serves/makes: 6 – 8 servings

Main Ingredient: Seafood Mix 
Preparation Method: Soup/Stew 
Cuisine: Creole