Pescatarian Seafood Gumbo
Hearty, spice-kissed gumbo with firm white fish, prawns and mussels — a seafood stew that sticks to your ribs.
This pescatarian gumbo keeps all the soul of a proper Louisiana stew but swaps out the sausages for extra seafood — prawns, firm white fish and mussels make a briny, satisfying mix. A dark roux gives the stew its nutty backbone; okra and a light cornflour slurry help the broth cling to spoon and rice.
Make it when you want something bold and comforting that feels like a proper meal without having to smoke any meat. It’s a brilliant midweek showstopper, or a weekend pot to serve with plain rice and crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.
Ingredients
- 80 ml vegetable oil
- 80 g plain flour
- 1 brown onion — large, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery — trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 red pepper — deseeded and diced
- 4 clove garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 200 g fresh okra — trimmed and sliced into rounds
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 30 ml tomato purée
- 800 ml fish stock — preferably low-salt
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 0 ml cayenne pepper — adjust to taste
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 300 g raw peeled prawns — tails removed if you prefer
- 400 g firm white fish — cod, haddock or pollock, cut into 3cm chunks
- 500 g mussels in shells — cleaned
- 15 ml cornflour — mixed with 30 ml cold water for a slurry if needed
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
Equipment
- large heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven
- wooden spoon
- ladle
Instructions
Prepare everything first: finely chop the brown onion, slice the celery stalks, dice the red pepper, finely chop the garlic cloves, trim and slice the fresh okra, roughly chop the fresh parsley and cut the firm white fish into 3cm chunks. Having mise en place keeps the roux from burning.
Clean the mussels in cold water: scrub shells, remove any beards and discard any that are cracked or remain open after a tap. Leave in a bowl of cold water for up to 10 minutes to expel grit, then drain.
Make a dark roux: heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-based casserole over a medium heat on the hob. Add the plain flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep the heat moderate and cook the paste, scraping the base, until it turns a deep chestnut-brown — about 20–25 minutes. Do not rush this step.
Add the chopped brown onion, celery and red pepper to the roux and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened and picked up colour, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic cloves in the last minute so it doesn’t burn.
Stir in the sliced fresh okra, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme and bay leaves and cook for 3–4 minutes to wake the spices and lightly soften the okra.
Deglaze and build the broth: stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, then add the tinned chopped tomatoes, fish stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes to develop flavour.
Check seasoning and thickness. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If the gumbo is too thin, stir the cornflour slurry (cornflour mixed with 30 ml cold water) then add it gradually, simmering for 2–3 minutes until the broth thickens slightly.
Add the firm white fish chunks and the drained mussels in shells to the simmering gumbo. Cover with a lid and simmer for 6–8 minutes, until the mussels have opened and the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily.
Stir in the raw peeled prawns and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the prawns are pink and just firm. Remove and discard the bay leaves, then stir through the fresh parsley.
Serve the gumbo hot in bowls. It’s traditionally served with plain rice — see tips for rice timing and make-ahead notes.
Tips
- Roux is the backbone: cook it slowly over moderate heat and stir constantly. If it starts to smell burnt, throw it away and start again.
- Clean mussels thoroughly and check after cooking — discard any that remain closed.
- Make the gumbo a day ahead: flavours improve overnight. Reheat gently so the seafood doesn’t overcook — add the prawns in the last few minutes.
- If you’re short on time, use a lighter roux (cook for 10–12 minutes) for a quicker base — the flavour will be slightly less toasty but still excellent.
- Serve with plain steamed rice or crusty bread. To synchronise timings, start the rice about 12 minutes before adding the mussels and fish so everything is ready together.
Substitutions
raw peeled prawns → scallops, 300 g, seared briefly and added at the same time as prawns
Stays closemussels in shells → clams in shells, 500 g, use the same cooking time
Stays closefish stock → vegetable stock, 800 ml
Noticeably differentplain flour → omit roux and use cornflour slurry only (mix 2 tbsp cornflour with cold water), add at the end
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 532
- Calories
- 45 g
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use frozen mussels or prawns?
Yes — thaw overnight in the fridge and pat dry. Add prawns at the end as normal; for mussels ensure they are fully thawed and discard any that are damaged.
How dark should the roux be?
Aim for a deep chestnut colour (like milk chocolate). Darker roux gives nuttier flavour but less thickening power, so balance colour with desired texture.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Not as written — the roux uses plain flour. For gluten-free, omit the roux and thicken with a cornflour slurry (see substitutions), noting the texture and flavour will be noticeably different.
How long will leftovers keep?
Cool quickly and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the hob; add extra stock if too thick and add fresh prawns only at the end if re-cooking.
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