The best gumbo recipes for Mardi Gras

There’s more than one mouthwatering way to make a great gumbo for Mardi Gras. Throw a gumbo party and serve a variety of gumbo renditions. Here are three gumbo recipes featuring a tasty array of seafood and meats, vegetables, herbs and spices.

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The gumbo works

Deliciously loaded with chicken, sausage and shrimp, this gumbo recipe will be a flavorful fave at your Mardi Gras feast.

Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 onions, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 large red bell peppers, seeded, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 (15 ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 pounds andouille sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen sliced okra
• 1-1/2 pounds peeled medium-sized shrimp
• 1 teaspoon gumbo file powder
• 10 cups hot steamed white or brown rice

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large heavy duty pot over medium-high heat until very hot and almost smoking.
2. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture makes a dark reddish brown roux.
3. Add onions, carrots, celery and bell peppers, and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and brown, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir in garlic and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes. Add wine, parsley, thyme and bay leaves, and bring to a boil.
5. Add tomatoes, clam juice, broth, sausage and chicken. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add okra and simmer, stirring occasionally, until okra is tender.
6. Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until shrimp is just cooked through, about three minutes.
7. Add file and season gumbo to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with rice.

Super seafood gumbo recipe

Swimming with succulent seafood, you’ll love digging your fork into this hearty Mardi Gras recipe.

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeded, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 pound okra, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon gumbo file
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 quarts water
• 1 pound boneless, skinless salmon, diced
• 2 pounds shrimp, cooked, deveined
• 1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over, any shell bits removed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups hot steamed rice

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup butter. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Continue to cook for two minutes or until the roux is golden. Set aside and keep warm.
2. In a large soup or stockpot, melt remaining butter. Add onion, celery and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened.
3. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute. Saute until softened. Add okra and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the roux, Cajun seasoning and file.
4. Stir in bay leaves and water. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to a simmer. Add salmon and simmer for five minutes.
5. Add the shrimp and crab and simmer for five more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves.
6. Serve hot over rice.

Turkey yummo gumbo recipe

This poultry-based gumbo recipe may be lighter than the traditional Mardi Gras rendition, but it is still deliciously heavy on flavor.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded, diced
• 1-1/2 pounds hot turkey sausage, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 (15 ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 turkey leg, skin removed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen sliced okra
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon gumbo file
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 cups hot steamed brown rice

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and peppers, and cook, stirring often, until softened.
2. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until browned. Stir in garlic and cook for one minute.
3. Add tomatoes, broth, turkey leg and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until turkey meat starts to fall off the bone.
4. Remove the bone, shred the meat off into the pot, and discard the bone.
5. Add corn, okra, Cajun seasoning and file. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve gumbo over hot rice.

More mouthwatering Mardi Gras recipes

Cajun Jambalaya
Crawfish (or shrimp) etouffee
Delicious King Cake