Roux-Based Authentic Seafood Gumbo with Okra

Make an authentic Cajun-style gumbo with catfish and shrimp from scratch with this recipe.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins
• Calories: 344 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 6 cups water
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
• 1 pound frozen chopped okra
• 1 pound catfish, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon gumbo file powder, or to taste
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil
• 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
• 0.5 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1.5 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir celery, green onions, and bell pepper in hot butter until tender, about 10 minutes; add to pot with the roux.

Step 2

Stir water, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, hot pepper sauce, and thyme into the vegetable mixture. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour.

Step 3

Stir okra into the vegetable mixture and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add catfish, stir gently, and cook until the flesh is easily flaked with a fork, about 5 minutes. Gently stir shrimp into the mixture; cook until the shrimp are bright pink, about 3 minutes. Season with the file powder and salt; stir.

Step 4

Put flour into a Dutch oven or large heavy pot and add flour. Turn heat to medium-high, put the pot on the burner, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick and bubbly, has a 'peanutty' smell, and is dark brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool and thicken.