Even if you can’t make it to the Big Easy for Mardi Gras, you can still enjoy one of the many great culinary treats to come out of Louisiana. This richly spiced dish will make your house smell heavenly, and while the recipe is complex, you won’t mind the effort when you taste the results. Traditional gumbo includes smoked sausage, shrimp, and crab, and while you can leave out the okra, consider giving it a chance. Okra’s bad rap stems from people overcooking it and making it slimy. Stir fried the right amount and tossed in gumbo, it’s a signature ingredient of Southern cooking. Whether you’re celebrating Fat Tuesday or looking to liven up your next dinner party, gumbo is the way to go, so whip up a batch this month!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the seafood gumbo stock:
1 tbsp. canola oil
3 blue crabs (not Dungeness or stone crabs), washed and halved crosswise
Shells and heads from 2 lbs. shrimp (meat removed and saved for the gumbo itself)
Bell pepper, onion, and celery scraps
1 green onion, halved crosswise
3 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp. ground black pepper
13 c. water
For the Creole seasoning:
1 ½ tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. ground white pepper
2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
¾ tsp. dried thyme
¾ tsp. dried oregano
For the gumbo:
8 tbsp. canola oil, divided
2 c. okra, sliced
½ c. all-purpose flour
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 dried bay leaves
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
6 blue crabs, washed and halved crosswise
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rinsed
6 c. rice, cooked
3 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
¼ c. green onion, sliced
1 tsp. filé powder
Preparation
Make the seafood gumbo stock: In a heavy-bottomed 5-quart pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the crabs and cook until the shells turn bright orange, 2–3 minutes. Add the shrimp shells and heads and cook another 2-3 minutes until the shells turn pink. Smash the crab and shrimp shells, similar to mashing potatoes, to release any juices.
Add the bell pepper, onion, and celery scraps, along with the green onion, parsley, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and water. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30–35 minutes.
Strain the stock through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. You should have 12 cups. Set aside until ready to use in the gumbo. (If you’re not using the stock immediately, it can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1–3 days.)
Make the Creole seasoning: In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and oregano until well combined.
Make the gumbo: Heat 6 tbsp. canola oil in a heavy-bottomed 6-quart pot over medium-high heat until faint wisps of white smoke come off the oil. (If thicker, darker smoke appears, remove the pot from the heat and let cool for 3 minutes.) Add the okra and fry for 2 minutes, until army-green in color. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the okra to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving any remaining oil behind in the pot.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil to the same pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until faintly smoking again. (Do not let it overheat, or the flour will burn.) Whisk in the flour to make a roux and cook, whisking constantly, until it turns a dark cocoa brown, about 5–6 minutes. (If the roux is browning too quickly, remove the pot from the heat while continuing to stir and reduce the heat to medium-low.)
Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and 2 tbsp. of the Creole seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until onions have softened. Add the garlic, bay leaves, and remaining Creole seasoning.
Increase the heat to medium-high. While whisking or stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming, add the seafood gumbo stock, 4 c. at a time. Add the okra, smoked sausage, crabs, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, skimming off any foamy flour residue that rises to the surface. The gumbo should thicken and reduce by one quarter.
Season the gumbo with the salt and pepper to taste, then add the shrimp. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the residual heat cook the shrimp for 10 minutes.
Ladle the hot gumbo into bowls, and top with rice. Garnish with parsley, green onions, and filé powder.
It’s important to properly cool and store leftover seafood gumbo, otherwise it will spoil. Fill a clean 2-liter bottle or plastic juice jug with water and freeze until solid. Once you’re finished eating, place the ice bottle in the pot of gumbo and let the gumbo cool, stirring occasionally to release heat. Transfer the gumbo to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The gumbo can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Enjoy!