Seafood Gumbo (with Trader Joe's Seafood Medley)
Rich with a little kick this seafood gumbo warms the palate and is worth the effort!
Equipment
- 1 Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lb. Andouille Sausage, sliced If from a butcher or specialty store you will likely want to remove the casing prior to slicing
Roux
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
Holy Trinity
- 1 Sweet Onion, diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 -3 ribs Celery, diced
Additional Ingredients
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper, diced
- 3 - 4 cloves Garlic, diced
- 6 - 8 cups Seafood Stock Depending on desired consistency (more for thinner, less for thicker). See notes as well.
- 12 oz. Amber beer or brown ale We used a brown ale
- 1 Green Onion, sliced
- 12 oz. Okra We used a bag of frozen okra and it worked perfectly.
- 1 tbsp. Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning Or comparable cajun spice mix. We love this stuff.
- 3 Bay Leaves
- ½ tsp Ground Thyme
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper To taste and preferred spice level
- 1 lb. Trader Joe's Seafood Blend (Shrimp, Calamari Rings, and Bay Scallops See recipe notes. Traditional recipes may include a white fish (variety of species), crab, oysters, etc.
Optional (we used these)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Whole Carrot, diced
- 1 tsp Everglades Hot Seasoning
Garnish
- Parsley or green onion tops Upon serving
Instructions
Seafood stock
- Make seafood stock from seafood base and set aside (or pour equal amount of canned/boxed stock into a mixing bowl for use throughout recipe).
Brown the sausage
- Heat olive oil in a stock pot on medium heat. Brown the sliced andouille sausage on both sides for 3 - 4 minutes total, flipping to ensure complete browning (note: don't worry about cooking fully through). Remove andouille sausage and set aside. Deglaze pot with a small amount of seafood stock and scrape bits from bottom of pot. Pour liquid from bottom of pot back into seafood stock.
Make the roux
- Add vegetable oil to stock pot on medium/low heat. Add in the flour. Stir constantly for 25 - 30 minutes or until roux is a medium brown color (like caramel or peanut butter). Time may vary based on stove heat, stirring, and differing amounts vs. the recipe above. NOTE: It's imperative to partake in this labor intensive process because a burned roux will ruin the gumbo. You will need a proper roux for proper flavor and consistency. No need to be intimidated here but important to note.
Build the gumbo
- Add the Holy Trinity, jalapeno pepper, and garlic (and if using, the carrot and red bell pepper). Stir frequently as before for another 4 - 5 minutes and let vegetables soften. NOTE: This may be a little bit of a forearm workout but we still don't want to burn the roux.
- Add seafood stock and beer. Stir to mix well.
- Add spices, herbs, bay leaves, okra, and green onion. Mix well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add seafood blend (see notes in recipe card and recipe notes below). Stir and mix well. Cover and simmer for 8 - 12 minutes or until seafood items are cooked through.
Serving
- Make rice during the simmer process (if desired). Serve in a bowl with rice or as is. Top with some sliced green onion or fresh parsley.
Notes
Seafood Stock in a pinch: If you find yourself ready to make gumbo and you're short the seafood stock or seafood base (we love making stock with Better than Bouillon bases), try adding 5 - 6 tbsp. of Fish Sauce to 6 - 8 cups of water, simmer on medium while prepping the other ingredients, toss in remnants of celery, green onions, peppers, garlic, etc. and simmer until done with prep. We actually ended up doing this and the gumbo turned out amazing despite not having our desired stock on hand.
Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning: Buy it here
Everglades Hot Seasoning: Buy it here
Note: Links above are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase we do earn a very small commission. Worth every penny.
Salt: The spices above carry a fair amount of salt as do most seafood stocks and or bases for making stock at home. We did not add any additional salt to this recipe. Be careful when adding any additional salt as it may not be necessary.
Seafood Blend: As mentioned in the recipe card we used this particular blend because we often use what we have on hand as that is the beauty of cooking. More "traditional" recipes may use different blends that may include crab, oysters, and/or fish. Some even include another protein such as chicken (a shredded rotisserie would fit here). The instructions shouldn't change based on desired blend. Feel free to use creative liberty here =)