Seafood Gumbo!

1 1/2 # shrimp

1 # crawfish tails.

1 # crab meat.

Andouille sausage or just plain smoked pork sausage.

Salt and pepper to taste

Creole seasoning to taste.

1 large bell pepper.

1 large yellow onion.

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped.

A couple of bayleaves.

1 cup of flour, 1 cup of vegetable oil for roux.

Concentrated Crab Boil.


1) Peel shrimp and boil the shells in about 6 quarts of water with about a teaspoon of crab boil and the bayleaves for 20-30 min. Afterwards, Remove all the shells and leave the shrimp stock on medium fire. While the shrimp shells are boiling, You can start on the roux.

2) Make sure you have the onion, garlic and bell pepper chopped before you start the roux. Again, I usually stir the roux in either a large cast-iron pot or in a stainless steel pot. I generally don't go higher than medium heat for the first 10 min. and then I cut the heat down to medium low. You can make the roux as dark as you like, just don't let it burn. STIR, STIR, STIR!!!
If you see little black specks appear in the roux than that means it is burning and you should probably start over.
Once you acheive the desired color, remove from heat to cool slightly. (Do not put the trinity in the roux when the pot is on the fire and it is at a high heat. It will burn!!)
I usually just spoon the trinity in from there and return to the low heat to saute the veggies a little before I combine it all.

3) Add the roux to the shrimp stock and turn the heat up to a boil. I would also add my salt, pepper and creole seasoning at this point. Once the boil is acheived, add in your sausage, crab, crawfish and shrimp and my personal preferance, a few dashes of worstershire sauce. The gumbo will need to come back to a boil. I let mine boil for about 15-20 min. and than I reduce it to a simmer. Let it simmer for another 15 min or so and serve it on rice.