Cajun/Creole · main

Louisiana Seafood Gumbo

Louisiana Seafood Gumbo reads umami 6.3, marine & briny 4.5 and allium 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole main, about 1 hr 41 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.3 · Marine & Briny 4.5 · Allium 4.2 · Salinity 4.2 · Richness 3.5 · Sweetness 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Sourness 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Earthy 1.3 · Fruity 1.2 · Heat 1.1 · Bitterness 1.1 · Citrus 1.0 · Floral 0.8 · Nutty 0.5

What's in it (16)

• vegetable oil — 109 g
• all-purpose flour — 60 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• green bell pepper — 100 g
• celery — 40 g
• garlic — 12 g
• okra — 454 g
• tomato paste — 30 g
• fish stock — 1420 g
• bay — 2 g
• creole seasoning — 15 g
• salt — 5 g
• shrimp — 454 g
• lump crab meat — 227 g
• green onions — 330 g
• white rice — 710 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 41 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 119.8 kcal, 5.4 g protein, 3.4 g fat, 17.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (11 steps)

1. Make the roux: in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, whisk together the vegetable oil and flour over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until it reaches the color of dark chocolate and smells deeply toasted and nutty, 25-30 minutes — lower the heat if it darkens too quickly, and start over if you see black flecks or catch a burnt smell.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the roux stops browning further, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
4. Push the vegetables to one side and add the okra to the pot; let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to sear the cut sides, then stir occasionally until it's no longer stringy, 6-8 minutes total — this step is what keeps the gumbo from turning slimy.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly, 1-2 minutes.
6. Whisk in the seafood stock a cup at a time until fully smooth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
7. Add the bay leaves and Cajun seasoning, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gumbo thickens and the vegetables are fully tender, 45 minutes.
8. Season with the kosher salt, then taste and adjust the Cajun seasoning to your liking.
9. Stir in the shrimp and cook until just opaque and curled, 3-4 minutes.
10. Gently fold in the crab meat and cook just until heated through, about 2 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat right away so the crab stays tender.
11. Discard the bay leaves. Spoon the gumbo over rice in bowls and scatter with the green onions.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Seafood Gumbo with Okra and Crab — Cajun/Creole · Creole
• Shrimp Étouffée — Cajun/Creole
• Txangurro a la Donostiarra — Basque · Hegoalde (Spain)
• Caldeirada — Portuguese
• Cazuela de Mariscos — Argentine

Keep reading: what umami, marine & briny, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.