re: Tell me everything I did wrong with my seafood gumbo (stock & roux quetions)

Just a few thoughts.

Maybe a little less water for your stock, and cook a little longer. I would slow boil for about an hour. I only add peppercorns. Shrimp heads would have helped.

I think you need a little more roux. I like the consistency and the color of your roux.

As far as stock goes, I do this gradually. To the roux (after reducing the heat), I add onions, bell pepper, celery and okra first, stirring constantly. If your roux is still nuclear hot, this wont take long. Then I add garlic. After about a minute of constant stirring, I add in about 2 cups of stock. I then add my seasonings and simmer for a few minutes. Then, I add stock to get the consistency I want. Keep on simmering. After at least 20 minutes, a taste test for seasonings. When I'm happy, shrimp goes in.

I don't thing your far off. A little more roux, less stock, and simmer those veggies down a bit more.

If you want more seafood flavor, you should go with more seafood in your stock. Maybe some crap bits, fish bones, etc.