This delightful Seafood Gumbo is full of shrimp and crab and it has a nice spicy kick. There’s nothing like a warm bowl of gumbo, and I especially like a seafood gumbo.
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Making a big pot of gumbo is a little labor intensive, but it lasts for days and only gets better with time. It’s perfect for a lazy afternoon spent at home. Build a nice fire in the fireplace and put your biggest pot on the stove.
The most time-consuming part and the most important part is making the roux. It is a process that should not be rushed. It forms the base of the flavor and you really want to take the time and develop a deep, robust flavor. Making roux can take some practice. Turn the heat up too high and it will burn and you will have to start again.
In addition to shrimp and crab, this Seafood Gumbo is also flavored with the Holy Trinity- (onions, bell pepper, and celery), lots of garlic, a bottle of beer, thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and lots of Cajun seasoning. Plus there’s a pound of andouille sausage for some meatiness.
Equipment Needed
- 6 to 7-quart Dutch Oven– It’s important to use a Dutch oven with a thick, heavy bottom so the roux doesn’t burn. This Dutch Oven is perfect.
- Fine-Meshed Sieve– for straining the shrimp stock. This set of 3 strainers is very useful in the kitchen.
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Seafood Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 pounds unpeeled fresh large shrimp
- 1/2 cup butter, divided
- 2 (32-ounce) cartons chicken broth
- 1 pound andouille sausage,, sliced
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle amber beer
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup green onion tops
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound lump crabmeat
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Peel and devein shrimp, placing shrimp shells in a large pot. Refrigerate shrimp until needed.
- In a large pot, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add shrimp shells and cook until pink. Then add broth.
- Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm until needed.
- In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add oil and remaining 1/4 cup butter to Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat until butter is completely melted.
- Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until smooth.
- Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently until roux is a dark caramel color. This will take 30 to 40 minutes.
- Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add green pepper and celery and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add beer and stir in well.
- Pour shrimp stock through a fine-meshed sieve into Dutch oven. (I like to add it in 3 separate additions, mixing well between additions.
- Add Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves, plus the reserved andouille sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- Add green onions, parsley, and shrimp. When shrimp are pink, remove from heat and stir in crabmeat.
- Serve with white rice.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Fantastic recipe! Never a betting! I followed recipe to the t except I doubled all ingredients for a large crowd except crab and fresh gulf shrimp which I tripled. Picked crab white lump crab meat disentigrated into the roux so I added additional claw meat which kept it’s shape throughout process. Used shrimp and crab leftovers from previously prepared Spicey crab shrimp boil from week before. Those already spicy crab and shrimp introduced into roux were a great Cajun kicker! Start roux on very low heat to prevent burn then turn it up when beer is added and you’re golden. This was a morning long process that I didn’t rush. This gumbo recipe was such a great success that there wasn’t a spoonful left for the cook! I was even accused of not making roux myself because it was just that fantastic! I accompanied this recipe with fried gulf oysters and hush puppies from The Neely’s recipe. You’ll be Cajun king of the block! Also glorious is every way!
Love it. No okra, yay!
My husband grew up in Houma, LA. He is a picky eater and loves this Gumbo. We do not use okra, as we don’t like it, but I definitely use a good quality Filo. The shrimp shells make a big difference IMO. I also add crawfish tails, when I add the shrimp, and a little bit of shredded chicken thigh. I make my own Cajun seasoning. Commercial is too salty. Enjoy!
I do not see in the instructions when to add the broth to the dutch oven?
Way too much work for a single man. I took all the ingredients prepared them as directed and dropped everything in a big pot it’s big pot. Brought to a boil and simmered for an hour. Perfect . Took about a 10th of the time it would have taken to do all this Dutch oven nonsense on sense.
You didn’t make the roux and it was good? All the recipes say make a roux (butter/oil and flour cooked to the color of a penny).
This is a great recipe That is very similar to what I start my seafood gumbo with. Instead of chicken broth I use clam juice, clams, calamari, smoked paprika and crushed red pepper.
I have never made gumbo but plan to soon and I have a question. It says to add the crab meat after the shrimp turn pink but I don’t see anything about the crab being cooked anywhere in the recipe. Is it assumed that the crab is already cooked?
Yes, the crab should be already cooked. If you buy fresh crab in containers from a seafood market or grocery store, it is already cooked.
Thank you. I forget this is Easter weekend so I will probably make it next weekend.
Try adding lobster tail and claws then get rid of shells and chop up to add.
And rice, little sauté with small bits of garlic.and chicken stock.
I really like the components of this, but I add okra (a gluten-free thickener, folks), file…and I blacken the shrimp separately after marinating in blackening seasoning or cajun seasoning & oil. Makes for a gorg presentation. The roux has to be dark, imo.
One other thing… if you don’t like the texture of okra (I don’t), use an immersion blender to pulverize it and the other veggies before adding meats. If it’s still not thick enough, make a quick slurry with equal parts corn starch and COLD water mix as with a fork as you add cold water to the corn starch. Start with 1 tbsp of each and adjust if needed after you add to the gumbo.
I made gumbo with blackened shrimp for my dad, who was stationed in Biloxi ….and fell in love with New Orleans cuisine. He absolutely LOVED my gumbo, which is very similar to this, sans beer.
And I’m so happy I spent that day with him making something he hasn’t eaten in decades, because two weeks later, he died from a septic infection and this was literally his last real meal.
Which step do should I add the gumbo file if I follow this recipe?
Ummm I really want to make this but I’m allergic to Bell peppers, parts of tomatoes (which are part of the nightshade any substitutes that won’t involve the nightshade family? so I can make this dish?
Made this last night and it was terrific, very tasty with just the right amount of heat. Had it again tonight and it is even better!
Followed the instructions and added some okra and Lima beans, just wanted some more veggies in it. Will make again, a total delight for the tastebuds
I made this recipe, and I put all the ingredients but my roux was already made up, my family devoured it and I got none of it only what I was tasting when cooking it! Wonderful recipe will make again 😋😋😋