Louisiana Seafood Gumbo Recipe

When you think of Louisiana cuisine, you might think of hearty bowls of gumbo laden with rice, juicy meats and spices that embody Creole cooking. This tasty meal made its first official appearance at a state dinner in 1803, though Louisianians were serving up gumbo long before that. In fact, gumbo has evolved over the centuries through the various peoples and cultures of the state, each influence adding another layer of flavor.

As gumbo is one of the most iconic foods in Louisiana, it should come as no surprise that it is one of the most common menu items in the state (and for good reason). Your gumbo experience may differ from restaurant to restaurant as some favor fowl and pork over seafood or prefer a different blend of spices.

While there are many excellent restaurants that serve gumbo throughout Louisiana, here’s a few we’d like to suggest: Rouj Creole in Baton Rouge serves seafood gumbo as well as a duck and andouille sausage gumbo; Spuddy’s Cajun Foods in Vacherie dishes out a chicken and andouille sausage gumbo so delicious you’ll cry; and the La Cuisine de Maman in Vermillionville offers tasty bowls of chicken and sausage gumbo with your meal, so you’ll have room to sample Louisiana’s other classic foods as well.

If you want gumbo at home, get out your stew pot and get ready to feed your soul with our Louisiana Seafood Gumbo recipe featuring Louisiana blue crabs and shrimp. Need guidance? Watch how it’s done in this 60-second instructional video! And check out this additional video for how to make a roux.

Ingredients for Seafood Gumbo:

• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup flour
• 2 large onions, diced
• 6 gumbo crabs
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup fresh okra, sliced
• Leaves from 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 2 quarts shellfish stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound medium Louisiana or wild American shrimp
• 1 cup shucked oysters
• 1 cup lump crabmeat
• 1 cup minced green onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Creole or Cajun Seasoning
• Worcestershire
• Tabasco
• 4–6 cups Basic Louisiana White Rice, cooked

Method of Preparation:

1. Make a roux by heating the oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil. It will immediately begin to sizzle. Reduce the heat to moderate and continue whisking until the roux takes on a deep brown color, about 20 minutes. Add the onions, stirring them into the roux with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until the roux is a rich, dark brown, about 5 minutes more.
2. Add the blue crabs and stir for a minute before adding the celery, bell peppers, garlic and okra. Increase the heat to moderate and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the thyme, stock and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and skim off any fat from the surface of the gumbo.
4. Add the shrimp, oysters, crabmeat and green onions to the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, Creole Spices, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Serve in bowls over cooked Louisiana white rice.

Serves 10.

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