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The very first spoonful of this soul-satisfying brew is the essence of the fall season in Cajun country. With bold flavors of Louisiana seafood (oysters, shrimp, and crab) harvested from nearby Gulf waters and crawfish from inland ponds, it is further intensified with dark roux, smoked sausage, and Cajun spice. It’s gumbo time!
Quality Louisiana seafood and a dark Cajun roux is essential for this Seafood Gumbo. (Photo credit: George Graham)
One sign of the change of seasons is that the Cajun gumbo pots appear at the first hint of a drop in temperature. My black iron is always ready to come out of hibernation, and with my seafood gumbo mission, I headed straight to the Louisiana Direct Seafood website to find the highest quality seafood available. As shrimp season is nearing an end, you can also find all the frozen items needed at Louisiana Direct Seafood Shop, as well as locally in the Acadiana area from five retail outlets: The Market at Broussard Commons in Broussard, Gonsoulin Farm Store in Loreauville, Bi-Lo Supermarket in New Iberia, Don’s Specialty Meats in Scott, or Boudreaux’s Southern Seafood in Broussard. Give these retailers a call in advance, and they’ll have your order waiting.
The highest quality shrimp, oysters, crab, and crawfish go into this gumbo. (Photo credit: George Graham)
This not-for-profit program of Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter is my go-to source for connecting with fishermen across the region. As an online portal for discovering all the seafood available to home cooks and wholesale buyers, the website is a searchable clearinghouse of up-to-date information for finding the freshest catch. As fishermen bring their seafood haul to port, this website lets you know how, when, and where to find it.
From Dulac to Grand Chenier and all along the coast of South Louisiana, fishermen, harvesters, and processors make their living off the waters of the Gulf. These families have weathered nature’s fury and man-made disasters of all kinds but have remained resilient. I’ve gotten to know many of these families, and I can tell you that they are truly dedicated to the mission of preserving a way of life that is a time-honored tradition in Louisiana.
Supporting our local fishing industry by buying local is an obligation that I feel deeply about. It irks me to no end when I see Louisiana cooks, even restaurants, buying overseas imports. For the sake of a few dollars, they lose sight of the economic impact their purchase has on the rich heritage and tradition of our seafood culture. Like me, I hope you buy local whenever possible.
Fresh ingredients and dark roux define a Cajun gumbo. (Photo credit: George Graham)
All Louisiana gumbo variations are delicious, but there are stark differences in the recipes for rural Cajun gumbo and citified New Orleans Creole gumbo. This recipe is for a traditional Cajun seafood gumbo—dark, smoky, and intense with seafood flavor. You will never see tomatoes in a Cajun seafood gumbo, while crawfish tail meat frequently finds its way into the pot.
For old-school Cajun cooks, a dark roux defines this dish. Stirring flour and oil for an hour until it magically transforms into a flavorful, chocolate-colored roux is a time-honored tradition. To make it easier, we are using our Rox’s Roux—the deepest, darkest, richest roux—in a 16-ounce jar that we sell online in our Acadiana Table Store. Rox’s Roux is available in many Lafayette area retail markets and is proud to be a Certified Louisiana product.
Each spoonful digs deeper into the essence of what it means to be Cajun. (Photo credit: George Graham)
After one bowlful of this seafood gumbo, you’ll understand what makes it special. It’s the hands of the Louisiana fishermen that harvested all these shrimp, crab, oysters, and crawfish. I can assure you will taste the quality and the love. This is Cajun cooking at its best.
Watch the step-by-step instructions in our video and let Roxanne, Lo, and I show you how to make this Cajun Seafood Gumbo. And then follow the details in our recipe to discover how easy it is to make this delicious Louisiana classic.
This recipe is from George Graham of Acadiana Table, and is part of a Boat-To-Table series of stories, recipes, and information about our seafood industry is brought to you in support of Louisiana Direct Seafood, a free program of Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter.
CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO
PREP TIME | COOK TIME | TOTAL TIME
1 hour 90 mins 2 hours 30 mins
Recipe by: George Graham
Serves: 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups diced yellow onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup diced green onion tops
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 cups sliced smoked pork sausage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 quarts seafood stock
1 cup dark Cajun roux, such as Rox’s Roux
4 gumbo crabs
1 dozen raw Louisiana oysters
2 pounds (21 – 25-count) Gulf shrimp
1 pound Gulf crabmeat (claw or white lump)
1 pound Louisiana crawfish tail meat
6 cups cooked long-grain white rice, such as Supreme
INSTRUCTIONS
In a cast-iron pot with a heavy lid over medium-high heat, add the oil and sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, green onion tops, parsley, and sausage for 5 minutes. Add all the spices and hot sauce. Add the seafood stock, roux, and gumbo crabs. Close the lid and lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook for 1 hour.
Uncover and skim any oil or foam from the surface of the gumbo. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the remaining seafood. Cover and let cook at a simmer for 20 minutes.
Ladle the gumbo in bowls over cooked Louisiana white rice. Serve with gumbo filé and hot sauce on the side along with diced green onion tops and lots of hot French bread.
NOTES
Some folks like to add okra to their seafood gumbo, but I prefer to make it the co-star of my recipe for Shrimp and Okra gumbo. Gumbo crabs (small cleaned crabs used for flavor) are sold frozen in most Louisiana seafood markets or online. We’re using Rox’s Roux (buy it online on our website), but feel free to make yours from scratch with this recipe for Cajun roux.
Your taste buds light up with the first bite into a plump Louisiana oyster releasing its briny Gulf flavor and combining with a creamy, liqueur-infused sauce for a taste explosion that makes you reach for more. It’s the perfect appetizer or party dish.
What’s even better is that this Louisiana Oyster Skillet is a no-fuss, one-pan preparation that’s simple to make. It has all the creamy comfort of oyster bisque and the cheesiness of char-grilled oysters. Still, it is easily adaptable to the home kitchen with any oven broiler.
Recently, Roxanne and Lo of Acadiana Table went into the kitchen to show how easy this dish is to prepare. And if my taste buds are any judge, then this recipe is about as good as it gets to showcase Louisiana oysters. So, check out the short video and see for yourself.
For sourcing the tastiest Gulf oysters, we went online to Louisiana Direct Seafood and searched the many listings for seafood vendors along the Gulf coast. Then we made a trek down the bayou to Lafourche Parish to talk to the fishermen who harvest and process Louisiana oysters.
What we learned was a surprise: Freezing oysters is smart. It has become a common method to extend the shelf life and always have a ready supply on hand. Once thawed, the oysters are as good as fresh. Bryan Mobley knows a thing or two about oysters and how to freeze them.
Frozen in 1-pound packages, these packs yield almost two dozen oysters. (Photo credit: Corina Corina Internet archive)
At Corina Corina Seafood in Galliano, LA, Bryan processes Louisiana oysters where he packages the 1-pound (approx. 2 dozen oysters), vacuum-sealed oysters for the Vermilion Bay Sweet brand sold online at the Louisiana Direct Seafood SHOP website. These are high-quality, fat, juicy oysters that are flash-frozen at their peak of freshness.
Once you’ve thawed out a package of Bryan’s high-quality frozen oysters, you’ll never buy them any other way. This way, you can always have a pack of Louisiana oysters in your freezer; they’re perfect for frying, grilling, or our delicious appetizer recipe. If you live in the Acadiana area, you’re in luck because there are three retail outlets selling these oysters at: The Market at Broussard Commons in Broussard, Gonsoulin Farm Store in Loreauville, or Boudreaux’s Southern Seafood in Broussard. Give these retailers a call in advance, and they’ll have your order waiting.
Our Louisiana Oyster Skillet is rich, creamy, and cheesy, but make no mistake, it is the flavor of Louisiana oysters that shine in this dish.
Louisiana Oyster Skillet
PREP TIME | COOK TIME | TOTAL TIME
Recipe by: George Graham
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 dozen meaty Louisiana oysters, any oyster liquid reserved
3 strips smoked bacon, chopped
½ cup finely diced yellow onion
2 tablespoons finely diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ cup anise-flavored liqueur, such as Pernod, Herbsaint or absinthe
2 cups half and half
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash of hot sauce
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
Toasted French bread, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 450ºF.
Drain the oysters, reserving the oyster liquid. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces and reserve for later use. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.
Add the onions and bell peppers to the pan and sauté until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, and parsley and stir for 1 minute. Add the flour to the mixture and begin whisking to cook the raw taste out of the flour, about 1 minute. Add the Pernod and the reserved oyster liquor (if using) and continue whisking as the liquor reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
Add the half and half along with the white pepper and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil and quickly lower the heat to a simmer. Add the basil leaves. Continue to cook until the cream begins to thicken to a sauce consistency to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the oysters to the mixture and poach them at a simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Sample the sauce and adjust with salt and hot sauce.
Sprinkle the top of the oysters with cheese and the reserved bacon pieces. Move the skillet to the upper rack of the hot oven and crank the heat up to broil. Watch closely as the sauce bubbles, the oysters begin to curl around the edges, and the cheese starts to brown, about 60 seconds. Remove immediately and sprinkle with chopped green onion tops.
Serve the skillet family-style along with toasted French bread.
NOTES
Pernod is the classic anise-flavored liqueur used in combination with oysters in many Creole New Orleans recipes, such as oysters Rockefeller. Herbsaint or absinthe can be substituted. Basil adds a fresh herbal note to this dish; be sure to include it. You can buy Louisiana oysters online in the 1-pound (approx. 2 dozen oysters), vacuum-sealed Vermilion Bay Sweet brand package sold at the Louisiana Direct Seafood SHOPwebsite. These are high-quality, fat, juicy oysters that are flash-frozen at their peak of freshness.
Drum roll, please! Lightly floured and sautéed to a crispy finish, George Graham’s Black Drum is topped with a buttery Menuière Sauce infused with Louisiana Crawfish—an easy and delicious recipe.
In recent years, black drum has ascended the culinary ladder to become a center-of-the-plate star in its own right. One theory is that it follows the coattails of its cousin, the red drum (or redfish, as you know it), which with the help of renowned chef Paul Prudhomme became a superstar during the blackened craze of the mid-80s Cajun food obsession. Now a popular sportfish, redfish are no longer commercially harvested in Louisiana, and its close relative, the black drum, has stepped up. And with this classic recipe, it’s high time it shows up on your dinner table.
Take a look at this quick video from Acadiana Table as they take you behind the scenes to learn more about cooking with this delicious Louisiana fish from Louisiana Direct Seafood’s own Douglas Olander.
Black Drum Menuière: Crispy fish fillets in a butter lemon sauce studded with crawfish tails is a Cajun recipe with an elegant Creole flair. (Photo credit: George Graham)
4 (4 to 6-ounce) fillets of black drum, skin removed
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
Juice of ½ lemon
Zest of ½ lemon
2 pounds fresh Louisiana crawfish tail meat
4 lemon wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the fish fillets to a cutting board and inspect them carefully, removing any small bones.
In a shallow container, add the flour and 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, and blend.
Remove the fish fillets and sprinkle lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning. Place the fillets in the seasoned flour and roll them to coat on both sides.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 stick of butter and vegetable oil. Shake any excess flour off each fillet and place in the hot skillet being careful not to crowd the pan. Sauté the fillets until crisp on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Repeat until all the fish is cooked.
In the same skillet on low heat, pour off the oil and add the remaining 1 stick of butter along with the diced onions. Stir the mixture carefully and watch as both the onions and the butter begin to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon juice and zest, and crawfish tail meat, and sauté for another 5 minutes until heated through. Keep warm for serving.
For plating, place a sautéed fish fillet in the center of the plate and spoon over the crawfish menuière sauce. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
NOTES
Crawfish tail meat is sold in 1-pound vacuum-packed bags on the Louisiana Direct Seafood SHOP site. Be generous with the crawfish sauce, but any leftovers (if there are any) can be served over rice the next day.
Recently, Roxanne and Lo of Acadiana Table went into the kitchen to show how easy this dish is to prepare. And if my taste buds are any judge, then this recipe is about as good as it gets to showcase Louisiana oysters. So, check out the short video and see for yourself.
For sourcing the tastiest Gulf oysters, we went online to Louisiana Direct Seafood and searched the many listings for seafood vendors along the Gulf coast. Then we made a trek down the bayou to Lafourche Parish to talk to the fishermen who harvest and process Louisiana oysters.
What we learned was a surprise: Freezing oysters is smart. It has become a common method to extend the shelf life and always have a ready supply on hand. Once thawed, the oysters are as good as fresh. Bryan Mobley knows a thing or two about oysters and how to freeze them.
