Seafood Gumbo Recipe (2024)

Please please please don’t cook the okra “50” minutes and for all the seafood gods never cook the shrimp 10 minutes or more at medium heat…. I can drop shrimp in boiling water and be perfect in about 2 minutes So 10 plus is rubber….

Cooking okra for 50 minutes pretty much guarantees it will be lifeless and soggy, and "10 minutes or more" will also overcook the shrimp and scallops.

Have you done this? The mixture is simmering over very low heat; lobster, crabs, scallops, and shrimp are all added together. Ten minutes sounds about right to me, given the low heat and amount of seafood.

As a native of Louisiana there are two schools of gumbo cooking- those who never use tomatoes and those who do. We never ever use tomatoes in gumbo! Suggest you leave them out for a more authentic taste. Also use oysters instead of lobster- Gulf oysters are plentiful and easy to procure here in Louisiana.

A wonderful recipe ! One possible improvement is to shell your shrimp and make a fresh shrimp stock with them to substitute for the chicken stock. David Tanis has a good recipe in the nyt which can be modified . I made it and added my lobster shells . It is easily made while chopping all your veggies . Also several substitutes for dried shrimp include 1TBS good fish sauce or tamari but not( soy sauce) or make your own by chopping a couple shrimp and salting then dry roasting at 425 for 10 mins.

Similar to my family recipe passed to me 50+ years ago. But where’s the filé? We never use Worcestershire (or lobster!) but would never consider it gumbo without the filé and at least twice the okra. Adding the seafood at the end for 5 minutes is usually enough unless adding chunks of boneless fish filets which would need the 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.

I've made Gumbo for years. Most important is the quality of the stock and seasonings! The seafood referenced is delicate...do not overcook.

Why chicken stock? A stock made with the shrimp, crab and lobster shells is quick and so much more harmonious a flavor with the seafood...

I made this following the instructions except it took me a bit more time to get the roux to chocolate-colored. I made a 1/4 batch of the spice mix to get a bit more than 2 Ts. so no leftovers Delicious results3/4 t oregano3/4 t thyme1/4 t powdered bay leaf1 1/8 t garlic powder3/4 t onion powder1/8 t red pepper flake1/8 t cayenne1 1/2 t sugar1 1/2 t smoked paprika3/4 t Diamond Crystal salt1/8 t black pepper

Needed Gumbo File which I added to the spice mixture. Didn't add the seafood or okra until broth had simmered for 40 mins. Added more salt to the dish after adding the seafood and tasting. I doubled the recipe and it could have used more seafood. Would add more next time. This was our Christmas Eve dinner and everyone thought it was fabulous! Very fresh and the spices were delicious! Will be making again!!

About 4 bay leaves ground in spice grinder equals 1 teaspoon powdered bay leaf…

I realize this is an adaptation and not a straight-up South Louisiana gumbo but I can’t endorse grape tomatoes in a gumbo. I smother my okra in the summer and add to gumbos throughout the year. You can add tomatoes to the smothering okra if you really want tomatoes in your gumbo. I love the addition of dried shrimp. That is old school and what my grandparents used off-season when they couldn’t get fresh shrimp easily. It adds depth to the gumbo when you can’t get head-on shrimp.

Okra adds thickness and body to the soup, and that happens from the long, slow simmer.

Why chicken stock? Why not shrimp or lobster stock?

I made this last night for a dinner party and it was delicious!! I added more of the vegetables than the recipe called for, skipped the okra and used about 2/3rds of the spice mix instead of 2 tablespoons. For the vegetable oil, I used olive oil. The Roux came out fantastic, velvety with a nutty flavor. I did watch and stir the Roux the entire time because it goes from being not done to being perfectly done within a matter of seconds.

A few shots of Tabasco and certainly some File took this recipe up another level, plus yes, boil up some shrimp shells and add to the broth. Really layers the flavors.

I made this for New Year's Eve. It was delicious. I can't eat okra so I just left it out. I can't have that much sugar so I halved it. Also halved the salt. Did half smoked and half regular paprika. No chicken broth so I used veggie broth. No crab meat on hand so did without. My only problem was that the delicious sauce was diluted by the water in the seafood. I will definitely make this again, but maybe next time I will try letting the seafood sit on a tea towel in the fridge first.

As suggested I made some homemade fish stock out of the shrimp and lobster tail shells and supplemented with store bought fish stock. I like the authentic taste of the dish but not the cheapest meal. If I make it again I’ll add some more red pepper and cayenne to turn up the heat even more.

I made the recipe as directed for the most part. Increased the quantity of the scallops and crab to a half pound and used my vegetable broth. This recipe was a winner. Would definitely repeat. And yes the seafood and okra cook times were perfect!

I recommend to leave the salt out of the spice mix to prevent a mistake resulting in an over salted gumbo. I did not pay attention to the fact that the lobster stock I used had salt in it. So my final dish was very very salty. I think it is best to add salt near the end rather than as an initial spice ingredient in the beginning. This will allow for flexibility in seasoning to taste. You also don't have to worry about the increase in saltiness as the liquid volume reduces during simmering.

All the recommendations are very good. Added the okra and all the seafood for the last 10 minutes of cooking and everything came out perfect. I recommend weighing your oil and flour when making roux. I ended up with 90 grams of each and my roux came out just right. More foolproof than trying to use measurements in recipe. I didn’t have dried shrimp and used rehydrated shiitake mushrooms. Also doubled the okra and substituted fish stock for half of the stock.

This is not Gumbo. It may be an excellent seafood soup, but it is not Gumbo. Creole and Cajun cooking is one of the great traditions of this country. The recipes are not difficult to produce in a home kitchen, using widely available supermarket items and simple techniques that are easy to learn. There are as many recipes for Gumbo as there are Louisianians who cook it, but there are a few limitations that apply. Please don’t lead your readers astray!

I have not made this, but appreciate all the advice from those who live near the Gulf. Winters in Northwest Ohio are more delicious with tips from the gumbo locals. Thank you. I will get the dried shrimp from my Asian grocer.

Why not Old Spice for the complicated mix?

I’ve never left a note but I have to do it here, there are so many reasons that this is NOT gumbo that I don’t know where to start. Even within the wide realm of gumbo’s, this doesn’t qualify. I don’t know what this is. I grew up in Louisiana and ate gumbo regularly at home and in restaurants. It may contain a number of seafood, poultry and sausage combinations. However, lobster is almost never cooked in any recipe that can be labeled Creole or Cajun, two very different and separate categories.

In my part of Louisiana, seafood gumbo is never anywhere nearly as dark as chocolate.

My 2nd time making this, and it was spectacular! Mods: 12 oz. okra; more aromatics, + 1 T extra oil and flour for roux. Andouille and shrimp for proteins. Broth from shells and veg. trimmings, + 1/4 C clam juice. Can diced tomatoes w/ chiles in lieu of grape toms. 1 T file. I didn't have dried shrimp, but I'll get some the next time I go to the neighborhood Asian grocery.

If you want to add file, how much?

Suitable substitute for okra? Ok, that compromises authenticity, but can’t eat it

I see from the comments that I'm not the only one who made a fish stock from the shells (and vegetable trimmings too). And I used more okra. Very tasty.