Seafood Gumbo with Andouille Sausage

It’s time to get your seafood gumbo on! If you’ve been craving the delectable taste of seafood gumbo like the kind you get in Louisiana, nothing captures the flavor of “Nawlins” quite like gumbo. And this recipe for Andouille sausage and seafood gumbo with shrimp, scallops, clams and oysters with crispy okra will get your taste buds shouting “Aieee!”

This zesty, rich seafood gumbo recipe comes from our friends at Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/. So let’s go, or as the Cajuns would say… "Allons!"

Makes 6 servings
Prep time: 35 min.
Cook time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Total 1 hr. 50 min.

Seafood Gumbo Andouille sausage Seafood Gumbo with Andouille Sausage

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound andouille sausage, cut into thin rounds
  • 2 small ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • ½ cup flour
  • 6 to 8 cups Shrimp Stock, recipe follows
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Seafood:

Crispy Okra:

  • Canola oil
  • ½ pound okra, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
  • 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp Stock:

  • 3 cups raw shrimp shells and tails
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
  • ½ medium celery stalk
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 medium fresh tomato, or ½ cup canned plum tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf

Directions:

Shrimp Stock:

  1. In a large saucepan over high heat, heat the oil until almost smoking.
  2. Sauté the shrimp shells and tails, onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes, stirring.
  3. Add the water, wine, tomato and bay leaf. Reduce to medium, partly cover, and simmer 40 minutes.
  4. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine strainer.

For the gumbo base:

  1. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add the andouille and cook until golden brown on both sides.
  2. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Do not drain.
  3. In the same pain, cook the celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper and garlic until soft.
  4. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.
  5. Gradually add the flour, stirring occasionally. Cook the mixture (roux) until it’s a light-caramel color, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  6. Add the onion mixture and cook about 3 minutes, without stirring.
  7. Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan.
  8. Whisk in about 6 cups of the stock into the roux mixture.
  9. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, add the andouille sausage and continue simmering for about 20 minutes.
  10. Add more stock if the mixture is too thick.
  11. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the seafood:

sauteed scallops in oil Sauteing Scallops

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan, over high heat until almost smoking.
  2. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and sear the scallops, on one side, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
  3. Remove and set aside on a plate.
  4. Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining olive oil.
  5. Heat over medium-high until almost smoking.
  6. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook until just pink, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Remove and set aside with the scallops.
  8. Add the scallops, shrimp, oysters and crab to the sauce and continue cooking until oysters are plump and cooked.

 

For the Crispy Okra:

Whole Okra fried with cornmeal Fried Okra from the Food Network

  1. Heat 2-inches of canola oil in a high sided sauté pan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer.
  2. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
  3. Place the cornmeal in a shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Season the okra with salt and pepper and toss in the cornmeal.
  5. Fry the okra, in batches, until golden brown. Frying too many at once will lower the oil's temperature and cause the okra to be greasy!
  6. Remove with a slotted spoon to the baking sheet and season with salt.

Serve:

Divide the seafood among 6 shallow bowls, ladle in some of the sauce and sausage and add the honey and garnish with the fried okra and chopped parsley and cilantro.

 

Once you and your guests have completed their meal, top your gumbo feast with one of Lobster Gram’s scrumptious desserts. They’re the perfect follow up to your seafood dinner. Order our Maine Blueberry Cheesecake, Maine Whoopie Pie, or a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate lava cake to go along with your fresh seafood order!