Seafood Gumbo is a labor of love. It was delicious and had amazing flavors but you may want to save it for a special occasion or when you’re feeding a large crowd. Below is the recipe I “kind of” followed. I made some changes (of course) but this should give you a pretty detailed idea.
3/4 C vegetable oil
1 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C finely chopped onions
3/4 C finely chopped green bell peppers
3/4 C finely chopped celery
2 TB minced garlic
One 12-ounce bottle amber beer
6 cups Seafood stock
Dash of dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound raw shrimp and/or scallops
1 pound white fish fillets cut in big chunks (your favorite kind)
1 pound clams Crab legs
1 package andouille sausage
1 package frozen okra
Chopped fresh parsley
Chopped green onion
Rice, for serving
Place a stockpot over medium heat, and add the oil. Allow the oil to heat for about 5 minutes, then add the flour to the pot. Stir the oil and flour together with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Lower the heat to medium low and continue to stir the roux for 20 minutes, or until the color of milk chocolate. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery to the roux and stir to blend. Stir the vegetables for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Add the beer and Seafood Stock to the pot. Season the gumbo with the thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire, salt, and cayenne. Bring the gumbo to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer the gumbo for 1 hour. Season all of the seafood you’ll be adding to the pot.
Stir the shrimp/fish/clams/sausage/okra into the gumbo until cooked through (maybe 7-10 minutes). Taste the gumbo and season if necessary. Garnish with the parsley and green onions and serve over rice.
