Mary's Creole Seafood Gumbo

5 from 22 votes

Mary's Creole Seafood Gumbo

Creole Seafood Gumbo is rich, delicious, and so hearty. It is a bowl of New Orleans comfort that will take your taste buds on a trip to the Big Easy.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Roux Cooking30

Total Time2

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Cajun, Southern

Keyword: crab and shrimp gumbo, creole seafood gumbo, seafood gumbo

Servings:

Calories: 875kcal

Author: Kari

Equipment

a large stock pot
a sharp knife
a cutting board
measuring cups
measuring spoons
a baking sheet

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ pounds okra diced - frozen or fresh
2 cups onion finely chopped
½ cup celery finely diced
⅔ cup green bell pepper finely diced
1 cup green onions finely chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic minced
3 dried bay leaves
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 14 - 16 oz can diced tomatoes with juice (or 1 28 ounce can)
7 cups water or seafood stock for extra flavor
2 ½ pounds raw shrimp washed, peeled, and deveined
1 pound claw crabmeat
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For Serving

4 - 5 cups white or long grain rice
Tabasco Sauce

Instructions

In a large stockpot or gumbo pot, heat the oil over medium heat, then stir in the flour. Cook until roux is your desired color - we find that a dark brownish color, almost the color of a Hershey bar, works best. You will need to stir the roux pretty frequently so that it doesn't burn, but if you park your cutting board next to the stove, you can get all your vegetables diced up while the roux cooks.
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
While cooking the roux, you can also bake your okra in the oven - about 350°F for 30 minutes, stirring as needed. (This will help get rid of that slimy okra texture that so many people hate.)
2 ½ pounds okra
Add the okra, then the holy trinity (celery, onions, and green peppers) to the roux.
2 ½ pounds okra, 2 cups onion, ½ cup celery, ⅔ cup green bell pepper
Stir until the onions are translucent - about 3 minutes.
Next, add the garlic & green onions.
1 cup green onions, 2 - 3 cloves garlic
Then add the canned tomatoes with their juice, along with the bay leaves, Tabasco sauce, cayenne, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
3 dried bay leaves, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 14 - 16 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
Gradually stir in water or seafood stock and bring to a boil.
7 cups water
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stirring as needed.
Finally, add the crab meat and raw shrimp and cook for 10 more minutes, covered.
2 ½ pounds raw shrimp, 1 pound claw crabmeat
Add the fresh parsley and remove from heat to serve.
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Serve over rice with a splash of Tabasco sauce and ENJOY!
4 - 5 cups white or long grain rice, Tabasco Sauce

Notes

Serve seafood gumbo with freshly made white rice, a little Tabasco Sauce, and a side of fresh, crunchy French Bread.

Once cooled, store seafood gumbo in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Putting hot gumbo directly into a sealed container and chilling immediately can cause the gumbo to sour.) If you want to chill gumbo quickly, you can fill a sink with ice and put the gumbo pot directly on the ice. Stir the gumbo as the ice cools it from the outside, and this will drop the temperature quickly without watering it down.

Reheat seafood gumbo slowly over low heat so as to not overcook the shrimp. Seafood Gumbo is best eaten within two or three days or it should be stored in the freezer.

Nutrition