Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Make a dark roux

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium-low heat, add the butter and vegetable oil. When the butter melts, whisk in the flour. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, until it reaches a deep brown color (the color of milk chocolate) — about 25–35 minutes. Lower heat as needed to prevent burning. The roux should be aromatic and smooth.

Add the holy trinity and aromatics

When the roux is a deep brown, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Stir and cook 6–8 minutes until softened and the mixture pulls slightly away from the roux. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the sausage

Push the roux-vegetable mixture to one side of the pot, increase heat to medium, and add the sliced andouille. Sear 3–4 minutes until edges are browned. Stir everything together so sausage is incorporated.

Add liquids and simmer

Slowly whisk in the chicken stock (and seafood/clams juice if using) a cup at a time to fully incorporate with the roux and avoid lumps. Add bay leaves, Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to meld flavors, stirring occasionally. Skim any foam or excess fat from the surface.

Finish with seafood

Add the shrimp and crawfish tails to the simmering gumbo and cook 3–4 minutes until shrimp are nearly cooked through. Add the oysters (with a little of their liquor if reserved) and crabmeat and simmer 2–3 more minutes until oysters just begin to curl and crab is heated through. Do not overcook — seafood should be tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with hot sauce, more Creole seasoning, salt, or pepper as desired.

Deglaze with sherry and rest

Stir in the cream sherry and simmer 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, discard bay leaves, and stir in chopped parsley and most of the sliced green onions, reserving a little for garnish. If using, sprinkle file powder into the gumbo now and stir (start with 1 tsp). Cover and let rest 10 minutes; the gumbo will thicken slightly as it rests.

While the gumbo simmers, prepare the rice. In a medium saucepan bring 3.5 cups water to a boil with the butter, Creole seasoning, and salt. Add the rinsed rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and cook 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Spoon a generous scoop of seasoned rice into warmed bowls. Ladle the seafood gumbo over the rice, making sure each portion gets a mix of shrimp, crawfish, oysters, crab, and sausage. Garnish with remaining green onions and an extra sprinkle of parsley. Offer hot sauce at the table.