Shrimp and Crab Gumbo AKA Seafood Gumbo

Shrimp and Crab Gumbo, AKA Seafood Gumbo, is an iconic Cajun stew made with  roux, shrimp, crab, smoked sausage and lots of vegetables, including okra. Served over rice.

Of all the wonderful Cajun inspired recipes, and there are many, Shrimp and Crab Gumbo is a family favorite. The ingredient list appears rather lengthy, and the instructions are multi-layered, but don’t be intimidated. This recipe is worth working your way through. Despite it all, it’s simple and straight forward. Each layer builds flavor upon flavor resulting in a stew that’s rich and comforting.

There are many variations of gumbo.  The constants are roux and the Holy Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper). Outside of that, the combination of ingredients are endless. If you don’t care for seafood, check out my Turkey and Sausage Gumbo  .

There’s a few decision you must make regarding gumbo. The first is the color of roux. It can be anywhere from tan to coffee color.  The longer you cook roux, the darker it gets and the stronger the flavor. Our preference is peanut butter color. Next, is the decision to add okra. We think okra is a must and add lots of it. Sausage: decide between andouille or smoked. We prefer smoked and Conecuh sausage is our favorite.  Lastly, is the addition of tomatoes, which we add.  All these decisions are a matter of personal preference.  It’s your gumbo, you decide.

Directions for Shrimp and Crab Gumbo

Shrimp stock:

1. Peel shrimp and save shells. Place shrimp in a bowl and season with Creole seasoning. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator.
2. Add shrimp shells to a pot and cover with two quarts water. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain stock and discard shells. Set stock aside. Shrimp stock brings another layer of shrimp flavor to gumbo. This extra strep is highly recommended. Alternatively, use chicken stock.

Roux:

1. Add one cup canola oil to an iron skillet.
2. Add flour and whisk continuously. Don’t walk away or get distracted. Once the roux starts browning, it can easily burn. It takes patience to make roux. I prefer an iron skillet because it retains heat and cooks the roux a little faster than other kinds of skillets. Pay close attention that you whisk the entire bottom surface of the skillet.
3. The color of roux is a matter of preference. It can be any shade between tan and coffee. My preferred shade is peanut butter, as shown above. The darker the roux, the richer the flavor. Once the has reached the desired color, remove from heat.

Gumbo:

1. Cut sausage into medallions and cook in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
2. When browned, drain and remove from skillet.  Place aside.
3. Dice  onions, bell pepper, and celery.
4. Add two tablespoons canola oil and diced vegetables to an 8 quart stockpot. Cook over medium heat.
5. Sautee until vegetables are soft and reduced by about one half.
6. Add sausage, roux and shrimp stock to pot with vegetables. Stir until well combined.
7. Add okra, tomatoes, salt and garlic powder to pot. Stir. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
8. Remove seasoned shrimp from refrigerator.  Check crab for any bits of shell. 
9. Add shrimp and crab to pot.  Add brandy, if using.  Stir.  Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until shrimp is pink. Serve over cooked rice.

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5 from 6 votes

Shrimp and Crab Gumbo AKA Seafood Gumbo

Shrimp and Crab Gumbo, AKA Seafood Gumbo, is an iconic Cajun stew made with  roux, shrimp, crab, smoked sausage and lots of vegetables, including okra. Served over rice.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American South

Keyword: seafood gumbo, shrimp and crab gumbo

Servings: 8

Author: Jackie Garvin

Ingredients

• 2 pounds jumbo 16/20 shrimp, shells on
• 2 quarts water
• Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound Conecuh sausage substitute any smoked sausage or andouille sausage
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 cups sweet onions approx. 2 large, diced
• 2 cups celery approx. 7 - 8 stalks, diced
• 2 cups bell pepper approx. 1 large, diced
• 3 15 ounce packages frozen sliced okra
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pound crab meat
• 1/4 cup brandy optional
• cooked rice

Instructions

• Make the shrimp stock
• Peel and devein raw shrimp.
• Place shrimp in a bowl, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, put in refrigerator.
• Add shells to a large pot along with 2 quarts water.
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to make shrimp stock.
• Strain and set aside.
• Make the roux
• Add 1 cup canola oil and 1 cup all-purpose flour to a cast iron skillet preheated over medium heat
• Whisk together oil and flour.
• Continue whisking until the roux is the color of peanut butter or your desired color. Place close attention that you whisk the entire bottom surface of the skillet. Once roux starts browning, it can burn quickly in spots that aren't kept moving. Leave in skillet but remove from heat and set aside.
• Make the gumbo
• Cut sausage into rounds and brown in a cast iron skillet.
• Once brown, remove sausage from skillet and place aside.
• Peel and dice onions.
• Dice celery and bell pepper.
• Add diced vegetables to 8 quart stockpot along with 2 tablespoons canola oil.
• Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and reduced in volume by approximately one half.
• Add roux and sausage to pot with vegetables.
• Stir in shrimp stock.
• Add okra, tomatoes, salt, and garlic powder.
• Simmer covered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove seasoned shrimp from refrigerator.
• Check crab for bits of shell.
• Add shrimp, crab, and brandy if using, to pot. Stir.
• Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until shrimp is pink.
• Serve over cooked rice.

Notes

1.For the sake of efficiency, start off by browning the sausage in an iron skillet. Once browned, drain and remove the sausage and set aside. Wipe down the skillet, and cook the roux in the same skillet. For the purposes of recipe writing, it flows better to include the sausage prep under the make the gumbo section that appeared later in the instructions.

2.An excellent product that's a time saver, is Savoie's Roux  (affiliate link)  It's a jarred roux that's worth trying if you're short on time or the thought of making roux is intimidating.

3.Instead of making shrimp stock, substitute a good quality, store  bought seafood, chicken, or turkey stock. However, I highly recommend homemade shrimp stock.

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