Easy Seafood Gumbo Recipes

Gumbo is a name given to soup or stew which is basically made of seafood and okra. Unlike other soups, gumbo is served with rice. Talking about the origin of gumbo, you may be surprised to know that gumbo originated in America itself.

But the most interesting fact is that though gumbo originated in New Orleans, it is based on three popular dishes of three different countries! Wondering how?

Well, the basic idea of gumbo is based on the French soup called bouillabaisse, the ingredients sofrito and ground sassafras leaves belong to Native America, and the name 'gumbo' is based on the French translation of the African word 'okra'. This was a brief introduction of gumbo.So, let's take a look at some traditional gumbo recipes.

Ingredients

• 2 sole fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 okra
• 1 bay leaf, crushed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, ground
• 1 can white crab meat
• 1 (1 lb 3 oz.) can tomatoes, crushed
• ¾ lb sea scallops
• ¾ lb shrimp, shelled, deveined
• 8 cups water, boiling hot
• 3 cups white rice, cooked
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. thyme, chopped
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne

Process
Cut okra into ½-inch pieces and set aside. Take a kettle and melt butter in it. When the butter melts completely, add flour and stir well to blend. Let it bubble for about 1 minute. After the flour is well blended, add onion, tomatoes with juice, and the okra to it, mix well, and further add the seafood and spices.

Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. After 10 minutes, add salt and water and cook covered for 1 hour over low heat. When well cooked, simmer until the soup is thick. Serve with rice.

Ingredients

• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 medium stalk celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 3 14½-oz. cans chicken broth
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 11-oz. bag frozen okra
• ½ lb crabmeat

• ½ lb shrimp (peeled and deveined), cut into thirds
• ¼ lb Italian sweet or spicy sausage, sliced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Creole seasoning
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Process
Take a large saucepan and place the sausage in it. Cover it completely with water and boil for about 3-4 minutes, drain, and set aside. Now take a large pot and heat oil in it over medium high heat. When oil heats, add onion, green pepper, and celery; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 5 minutes, add tomatoes, okra, chicken broth, and the reserved sausage, bring to a boil covered. Once boiled, continue cooking on high heat for 5 minutes more. Meanwhile, take a small bowl and whisk ½ cup water and flour.

When well whisked, add salt, spices, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, and the flour mixture into the pot, cover it, and cook for about 10 minutes on high heat. After 10 minutes, add crabmeat, scallions, shrimp and reduce the heat, cooking for about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove the bay leaf, stir and remove from heat. Let sit covered for 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 24 crabs, cleaned
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 2 qt water
• 1 qt oyster, drained (reserve liquid from oysters)
• 3 lb shrimp, cleaned
• 2 cups flour
• 1½ cups vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. filé powder
• Rice, cooked

Process
Take a skillet and fry flour into it until brown and then add onions. Cook until soft. Put this mixture in a pot and add oyster liquid along with plain water to it. Bring to a boil, then add crabs, salt, shrimp, and pepper, and boil for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add oysters and more water according to your requirement. Cook for about 10 minutes. After it is cooked, add filé powder and let the concoction stand for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.