Ditto to the reduced water. I also used the following spices: 2 parts salt 1½ parts paprika 1 part cayenne pepper 1 part white pepper 1 part black pepper 1 part granulated onion 1 part granulated garlic 1 part crushed dried basil leaves ½ part crushed dried oregano leaves ½ part crushed dried thyme leaves ½ part crushed dried parsley leaves This type of seasoning base is used in many New Orleans restaurants, from Emeril's to Commander's Palace to K-Paul's. It's not a universal seasoning, but it's a base upon which to build the seasoning of a dish, and is very versatile. It can also be used to give a little zing to your everyday cooking. The amounts in this recipe are given by volume. So a "part" can be a cup or a teaspoon depending on how much seasoning you desire to make.
Wasn't quite sure how to rate this recipe since it does need some doctoring, but the taste is delicious when all is said and done. I only used 6 cups of water (not 12!) to get right consistency. Also, used 3 tbsp tomato paste, 2-3 tbsp Old Bay, 1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp each of oregano and thyme. And I still threw in a bit more (1/2 tsp?)cayenne to give it some kick. Boy was it good! Family gobbled it up with some french bread. Everyone is asking for the leftovers, but they are all gone! Will definitely be making this again.
I am constantly giving this recepie out. I changed a few things though. I only use half the water so it's more stew than soup. Also I use a premixed creole seasoning to season the shrimp a little bit then I add 1 Tbs to the pot. Yum!
I incorporated many of the suggestions and it came out great. 1st (from a review that no longer is here?) if you use frozen okra boil the okra a minute or two then cook 50% longer than indicated in the recipe. I might microwave instead of boil it next time though. 2nd cut the water significantly. I used 8 cups. 3rd I added a lot (?1/8 cup?) of Old Bay seasoning some paprika and 2T Emeril's seasoning (not much) for more taste. 4th to reduce cost I substituted 1# chicken breast (boneless/ skinless) for 1 of the #'s of shrimp. I seasoned the chicken with Old Bay and black pepper set it aside and then quickly browned it in a non-stick pan before adding it at the same time as the shrimp. Served it to friends and they loved it! Also not sure about the serving size-calories in the nutrition info. This made a lot more than 6 servings and I was going by 2 cups/person. I calculated it out at about 215 cal & 5g fat/ 2 cup serving.
I'm on a budget and told myself I would only make this recipe with food I already had in the kitchen. So...I substituted a bag of Trader Joe's frozen pre-cooked shrimp (about 3) for the 2 lbs of fresh; I used a red pepper from my garden in lieu of the green; and I added two chopped-up pregrilled chicken breasts. I also reduced the water to 8 cups as suggested by previous reviewers. I sauteed the okra for half an hour dumped the rest of the ingredients in the pot and set it to simmer...and then ran out to do errands for an hour and a half. I came back spiced/salted the gumbo and dished it out. The recipe turned out well; surely it would be best with the freshest raw ingredients but given my restrictions the soup turned out far better than canned gumbo and cheaper than the more purist version. Highly recommended.
Finally something from this website that's really really good. I used half the water as one person advised and used lots of cajun spices instead of just cayenne pepper salt and pepper. Excellent and spicy!!!
Used 3 Cups water 3 cups clam juice 3 tbsp Old Bay 1 tsp basil 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp thyme added 1/2 lb scallops and this was fantastic. When I make it again will probably cook the okra a little less. Expensive to make and absolutely worth it!!
Great recipe! I lived in New Orleans as a kid and have been looking for a great cajun gumbo recipe to match my memories of this delicious dish. I did reduce the water to only 8 cups and added Old Bay Seasoning for that cajun kick!
I have been looking for this magnificent recipe for 20 years. This is truly cajun cookin' people. Make it spicy! Also try using recipe for Seafood Gumbo Stock instead of water. http://soup.allrecipes.com/AZ/SeafoodGumboStock.asp
The base recipe was ok - but in needed a lot of extra spices to make it flavorful. I did try this first before rating it - so that's what the 3 star is base on. After some adjustments I would absolutley give this a 5 star. 1. Cooking the okra for 30 mins is way too long - by the time the dish is finished the okra is mush. 2. I added - 2 1/2 tbls Old Bay 1 tsp basil 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 3. Reduced the water to 6 cups 4. 2 tbls tomato paste 5. Next time I will add more tomatoes With the added spices and reduced water this was a AMAZING! I served over rice. This was enough for me and my husband to have for dinner and both take left overs for lunch the next day.
