Seafood Gumbo with Andouille Sausage

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Ingredients

  • 3/4 c. vegetable oil (or peanut, canola or grapeseed)
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour – unsifted
  • 2 c. chopped onions
  • 1 1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 c. chopped celery
  • 1 Tblsp. minced garlic
  • 6 c. seafood stock* or clam juice or a mix of the two
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. cayenne red pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves
  • 1 lb. Andouille smoked sausage cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 lb. med. shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 doz. med. to lg. shucked oysters with their liquor or clams
  • 3/4 lb. crabmeat (picked over) or crawfish meats
  • 2 1/2 c. rice cooked hot for serving. Basmati or other long grain rice
  • 1/2 c. green onions chopped for garnish

Instructions

  • Making the Roux – see the detailed instructions on a separate post “Roux”. This uses the oil and flour listed above. 
  • Add onions, bell peppers, and celery to the roux. Stir the vegetables for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds before adding the seafood stock* to the pot. Season the gumbo with bay leaves, salt, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme and oregano. Bring the gumbo to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer the gumbo for 1 hour, skimming the foam and any oil that rises to the surface.
  • Add the Andouille sausage or another sausage like Kielbasa, cook for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp, un-drained oysters and crabmeat, cook an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste gumbo, season if necessary.
  • Serve in shallow bowls over white rice. Garnish with green onions.

*seafood stock can be made by boiling shrimp heads (from the fresh whole shrimp for the recipe). You can also add a fish head or two from your local fish monger. In a large pot, add 10 cups of water, the fish/shrimp, a whole quartered onion, a couple of garlic cloves, a stalk of celery and a chopped carrot or two. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Boil gently for two hours to reduce the volume slightly. Unused stock can be frozen for your next dish to cut down prep time. Or you can buy prepare seafood stock in the soup aisle.