World Championship Seafood Gumbo Recipe

If you’ve ever visited Louisiana and fallen hard for a big bowl of gumbo, it’s no wonder. As the state’s official dish, gumbo reflects the many diverse cultures and flavors that comprise Louisiana, including those hailing from Choctaw Native American reservations, West Africa, and France. Today, you’ll find everyone makes their gumbo just a little differently, but it’s not uncommon to see gumbo with okra, which is traditionally used as a thickening agent.

Gumbo is a particularly hot topic in New Iberia, where the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff takes place each year on the second weekend in October. Ninety-plus teams compete for the title of best gumbo in the world.

If your mouth is watering, grab a bowl from Lil’ Dizzy’s Café in New Orleans, one of the most renowned Creole eateries in the Big Easy, or try this winning seafood gumbo recipe, courtesy of Iberia Travel.

Ingredients:

• 5 quarts water

• 1 quart shrimp stock

• 1 teaspoon crab boil mix

• 1 ½ cups premade light oil-based roux 

• 1 large can tomatoes, mashed with juice

• 1 eight-ounce can tomato sauce

• 1 or 2 large onions, chopped

• 1 cup green onions, chopped

• 2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped

• ½ cup parsley, chopped

• 4 pounds raw Louisiana shrimp

• 1 pound Louisiana crabmeat

• 1 quart Louisiana oysters with juice

• 2 containers of Louisiana crab fingers, 1 pound each

• Salt and red pepper to taste

• Prepared rice

Method of Preparation:

1. Peel, devein and season shrimp and set aside.
2. In pot, add shrimp shells to 1 quart of water and boil 15 to 20 minutes to create stock. Remove and throw away peelings. Put stock to the side.
3. Sauté onions and celery in roux until cooked.
4. Add in the can of tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, shrimp stock and crab boil. Cook 1 and a half hours.
5. Add shrimp, crabmeat, crab fingers and oysters with juice. Season to taste with salt and red pepper. Then, add green onions and parsley. Let boil until seafood is cooked, approximately 20 minutes.
6. Serve over prepared rice and enjoy. Makes about 8 quarts.

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