Trawlers Recipe for a New Orleans style Cornish seafood ‘Gumbo’
Recipe by Mark Napper, Executive Chef Proprietor at Trawlers
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Gumbo is a Louisiana dish, which was introduced to Trawlers by Todd Varnadoe, and is a firm favourite with our guests. It is a hearty and spicy seafood soup, but can also be made with poultry, a variety of meats or vegetables. The basic recipe is a fusion of French, native American Indian and African influences. It is an unusual dish but very easy to make at home. Seafood gumbo is one of the most popular of gumbo’s served in Louisiana and this is Mark Napper’s own variation. We serve it as a starter, but it can also be served as a main course, with or without rice. You can also vary the level of ‘spicyness’ and reduce or increase the spice ingredients below. One of our guests used to have a ‘side order’ of chillies to add to it !

This recipe would serve 8 -10 people as a starter or 6 - 8 as a main course.

The roux - what we use to thicken the Gumbo:
  150 ml of either olive or vegetable oil
75 gm plain flour
Place the flour on a baking tray in a pre heated oven - medium temperature - for around 15 minutes until it is golden brown
Combine the flour and oil in a non stick pan and cook over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes - place to one side
For the Stock:
  2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large, finely chopped, onions
2 cloves, finely chopped, garlic
4, finely chopped, spring onions
2 chopped peppers (one green and one red)
1 to 2 finely chopped fresh chillies - according to ‘heat’ required
3 finely chopped large tomatoes
3 finely chopped sticks of celery
Tablespoon of sea salt
2 teaspoons of ‘Cajun’ spices (available at most delicatessens and supermarkets) or you can use cayenne pepper or paprika instead - the former is ‘hotter’
Half a tablespoon of ground black pepper
5 bay leaves and one tablespoon each of chopped fresh basil, thyme and oregano - hopefully from your garden !
2 litres of fish stock (preferably prepared by yourself, although you can buy powdered fish stock) If this is going to be a meat, chicken or vegetable Gumbo then add same quantities of these home made or powdered stocks instead
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
Half a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce - phew !

Now heat the olive oil in a large pan, when hot add the onions, celery, garlic and peppers and sauté gently for around a minute. Add the salt and pepper and sauté again for around a minute before you add the roux and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add all the other ingredients and cook on a high heat for around 10 minutes, before cooking for a further 15 minutes on a low heat. The stock can now be cooled and then placed in the fridge and kept for a day or so. When you are ready to serve the dish, place the stock in a large saucepan, bring to the boil and then add 75 gm of fresh Cornish crab meat, 75 gm of peeled prawns, 75 gm of ‘chopped mixed Cornish fish’ ( you can use cod, monkfish or any white fish), and finally add 10 to 20 fresh Fowey river mussels or Cornish clams. If your guests are allergic to shell fish you can omit them, or cook an individual portion separately. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Serve in a large bowl and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Accompany with freshly baked breads - see Mark’s recipes for making Trawlers style breads!

You can also serve your gumbo on pre cooked white rice.

Try, like us, and source all your ingredients locally - particularly from Farmers Markets which have the freshest of local ingredients. Gumbo can also be thickened with Okra, but this not to easily to source.