The Ultimate Cajun Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced ((You can use yellow, white, or red))
• 2 medium bell peppers, diced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped small
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
• 2 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning, homemade or store-bought
• 2 tsps cayenne pepper
• 6 cups seafood stock ((You can also use chicken or veggie stock))
• 1/4 cup tomato paste ((You can also sub with a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes))
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, organic
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 lb. large wild-caught shrimp
• 8 oz. wild-caught lobster tails ((You can add more, if desired))
• 16 oz. mussels ((You can sub with crab legs, oysters, or whatever seafood you love))
• 2 cups frozen okra, optional
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   --- PREP THE VEGGIES: ---

2. 2

   Start by dicing and chopping all veggies, including onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic cloves, and okra.

3. 3

   --- SAUTE EVERYTHING: ---

4. 4

   In a dutch oven pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the sausage rounds and sear on each side until golden + charred, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pot and add to a plate and set aside.

5. 5

   When done, add the onions and garlic, sautéing for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Now, add the diced bell peppers, and celery, stirring to sauté a bit, another 1-2 minutes. NOTE: It's OK if the pot seems crowded. You just need a bit of searing to soften the veggies. Remove from the pot and place onto another plate and set aside.

6. 6

   --- TO MAKE THE ROUX: ---

7. 7

   To the same pot, add the vegetable oil and flour, whisk them together until combined. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to stir to prevent lumps from forming. Constantly stir for 30 minutes or so or until the roux turns dark in color like a dark amber or close to "dark chocolate".

8. 8

   Once the roux has become the right color, add back in the sautéed veggies and and sausage, stirring to combine.

9. 9

   --- TO MAKE THE GUMBO: ---

10. 10

    Add the cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add the diced tomatoes, thyme sprigs, Worcestershire sauce, and seafood stock, stirring again to combine. Bring everything to a boil for 3-4 minutes before reducing the heat to low and allowing everything to simmer (uncovered) for about about 50 minutes.

11. 11

    In the last 8-10 minutes or so, add the shrimp, lobster tails, mussels and okra, stirring to incorporate and continue to simmer.

12. 12

    Once done, the shrimp should be a pink color, the lobster and mussels cooked through, the sausage completely tender, and the gumbo nice and thickened.

13. 13

    Discard the thyme sprigs and remove from heat.

14. 14

    To serve, add gumbo in your favorite bowl(s) with scoops of rice on top and a bit of hot sauce for a little heat. Feel free to garnish with chopped green onions or fresh parsley.

15. 15

    Bon Appetit!