There's nothing quite like the rich aroma of a big pot of gumbo simmering on the stove, especially when it's a Seafood Gumbo with Andouille Sausage. This iconic dish from Creole cuisine is known for its bold flavors and textures. It’s perfect for special occasions or just a comforting meal in your dining room.
Gumbo is a traditional dish, originating in Louisiana, that reflects the rich culinary influences of Creole and Cajun cuisine. Seafood gumbo with andouille sausage combines a variety of seafood with smoked andouille sausage to create a hearty and delicious stew. It is typically served over white rice creating a very satisfying and filling meal. This dish is a classic representation of the vibrant culinary traditions found in the American South.
In this post, we'll guide you through the step-by-step process of creating the best gumbo loaded with fresh seafood, Andouille sausage, crab claws, clams and gulf shrimp. It's one of those delicious dishes that is uniquely Southern.
This was inspired by my other recipes for San Francisco Style Cioppino and Lobster Tempura.
Ingredients
Roux
- Vegetable oil
- All-purpose flour
Stock
- Water
- Shrimp shells
Gumbo
- Yellow onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Green pepper
- Red pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Roma tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Bay leaves
- Crab claws
- Littleneck clams
- Andouille sausage
- Fresh shrimp
- File powder (a spice)
- Fresh chives
- Fresh parsley
- White rice
Fried Okra
- Fresh okra
- Yellow cornmeal
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Make a Dark Brown Roux
Seafood gumbo begins with a roux that is very simple to make and involves mixing flour with oil and baking it. This will become the thickening base for the gumbo.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place equal parts of vegetable oil and flour into a 5 or 6 qt Dutch oven and whisk to combine. Bake it uncovered for 90 minutes, whisking every 30 minutes. That is all there is to it.
Alternatively, you could cook it on a range top over medium heat stirring it continuously with a wooden spoon until it reaches a dark brown color, about 20-30 minutes. Honestly, baking it is easier.
Place the flour in a Dutch oven.
Add the oil and whisk to combine, then bake it for 90 minutes.
Make Shrimp Stock and Sauté the Vegetables
While the roux is baking, make some shrimp stock. This is incredibly easy and far better than commercial shrimp stock of fish stock. Just peel the shells off the shrimp and boil them. Remember to refrigerate the shrimp while the stock is cooking.
Boil the shrimp shells in 2 quarts of water over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer. Reduce to 1 quart (about an hour). Remove from the heat and strain the stock into a new pot. Discard the shells.
When the roux is done cooking, remove the Dutch oven and place on the stove top over medium heat. Add the vegetables (except for the tomatoes) and cook for 7 - 8 minutes or until onions are translucent and the other vegetables have softened.
Build the Gumbo Base
Next, add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper and bay leaves and stir. While the base is building, cook the white rice according to the package directions.
Slowly add the shrimp stock then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. For the best results, let the gumbo simmer on low heat for a few hours. Fair Warning: This is going to smell GREAT.
Put it All Together
Brown slices of Andouille sausage in a hot skillet over medium high heat.
Carefully add the clams, crab claws, sausage and shrimp. Stir to combine and sprinkle in the file powder while stirring constantly. Continue to stir for 1 additional minute after it has combined.
File powder is made from ground up leaves of the sassafras tree and is an essential ingredient for that distinctive Creole taste. It can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
Fry Up Some Okra
Just before it's time to serve, fry up some okra to put on top of the gumbo for that authentic cajun flavor. Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a high sided pan over medium heat to 350˚F. Place the cornmeal in a shallow baking dish and season it with salt and pepper. Toss the okra in the cornmeal mixture and fry in small batches until golden brown.
Cover and simmer on the lowest heat setting until the flavors blend together, about 10 minutes.
Fry the okra in small batches. Remove the okra with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Place a heaping scoop of white rice in a shallow bowl then ladle a generous helping of gumbo over the rice. Top with fried okra, chopped parsley and chives, then serve.
Variations
Crab claws were used in this recipe but crab meat is traditionally used. If you like it hot, spice up your gumbo with a little hot sauce.
Equipment
A Dutch oven was used to make this recipe. A heavy stockpot would also work but may be more difficult to get in and out of the oven.
Storage
Store leftover seafood gumbo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This is one of those dishes that will be better the next day after the flavors have blended.
Final Thoughts
As the wonderful aroma of seafood gumbo fills your kitchen, close your eyes and picture yourself in the streets of New Orleans with Cajun music playing in the background. Make a big pot of gumbo, invite everyone over, and share the warmth of Creole cuisine.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Authentic Seafood Gumbo with Andouille Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
Roux
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Stock
- 2 quarts water
- 12 shrimp shells
Gumbo
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 4 ribs celery chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- ½ cup green pepper chopped
- ½ cup red pepper chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1 tbs kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 crab claws
- 1 lb littleneck clams scrubbed
- 6 oz andouille sausage cut into ¼ inch slices and browned
- 12 medium shrimp raw, heads removed, shelled
- 1 tbs file powder
- 1 tbs chives chopped
- 2 teaspoon parsley chopped
- 2 cups white rice cooked
Fried Okra
- ½ lb okra cut into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
Bake the Roux
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 or 6 qt Dutch oven and whisk to combine. Bake uncovered for 90 minutes, whisking every 30 minutes.
Make the Stock
- While the roux is baking, clean and peel the shrimp and refrigerate. Place the shells in a 4 quart saucepan with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer. Reduce to 1 quart (about an hour). Remove from the heat and strain the stock into a new pot.
Make the Gumbo
- When the roux is done, remove the Dutch oven and place on on the stove top over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, green pepper, red pepper and garlic. Cook for 7 - 8 minutes or until onions are translucent and the other vegetables have softened. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper and bay leaves and stir. Slowly add the shrimp stock while whisking continually. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Carefully add the clams, crab claws, sausage and shrimp. Stir to combine. Sprinkle in the file powder while stirring constantly. Continue to stir for 1 additional minute. Cover and simmer on the lowest heat setting for 10 minutes.
Crispy Okra
- Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a high sided pan over medium heat to 350˚F. Place the cornmeal in a shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Toss the okra in the cornmeal mixture and fry in small batches until golden brown. Remove the okra with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Put it All Together
- Divide the gumbo among 4 shallow bowls. Top with fried okra, chopped parsley and chives, then serve.
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