Mike's Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Mike's Seafood Gumbo Notes

Not satisfied with the taste or the proportions of various seafood gumbos, I created my own. With the freshness of The Spice House spices and local seafood, how could it be anything but delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp, medium size, peeled and deveined
• 8 ounces crab meat (backfin, lump, or special)
• 8 ounces bay scallops (or cut up sea scallops)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 ribs celery hearts, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 links Andouille sausage
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ( or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon gumbo file powder (powdered sassafras)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 10 ounces frozen, sliced okra
• 3 cups cooked rice

Serves / Yields

4-6 as a meal, 6-10 as a smaller course

Preparation Instructions

Clean and prep seafood.

Prepare roux in large heavy saucepan by stirring butter and flour constantly for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring for 10 minutes, or until the roux is reddish brown. The darker the roux = more creole vs. cajun (lighter).

Stir in peppers, garlic, onions, celery, salt, black and red pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes until crisp, but tender. Stir often.

Gradually!! stir in chicken stock. Blend it into the roux and vegetables. Add can of tomatoes, okra, and all the spices but the filé. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, add the andouille, into the pot, already cut into slices, when you cover and simmer. and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Now would be a good time to start rice according to directions.

Stir in seafood. Simmer for 5 minutes more until scallops and shrimp are opaque and firm. Stir in filé powder and discard bay leaves.

Serve in bowls with a scoop of rice on top.

Helpful Hints

• Use fresh seafood. • Take your time on the roux. It is the base that all your flavors layer on. • You can use substantially more black or red pepper and thyme. • Filé powder adds that certain authenticity and helps thicken the gumbo. Also makes a great garnish on top of the rice in the bowls.

Credit

This recipe was provided by Mike Sims from Glen Burnie.

Cuisines, Courses and Ingredients

• American, Cajun / Creole, Fish, Main Dish, Rice, Shellfish

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