BAYOU LAND SEAFOOD GUMBO FILE'

Bayou Land Seafood Gumbo File' image

Provided by Debora Hotard

Time 2h15m

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deviened
1 lb lump crab meat or cracked crab claws or, gumbo ready whole crabs (personal preference)
1 pt oysters, raw with juice
2 large onions, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c fresh green onions with tops, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 c celery, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp gumbo file'
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 medium dried bay leaves
4 qt seafood stock

Steps:

1. In a heavy bottomed stock pot, stir together the flour and oil forming a rue. Cook the rue over a medium high heat, stirring constantly until the flower darkens to a deep cafe'au'lait color. Add onions and continue to cook until the edges of the onions begin to turn brown. Stir in celery, bell pepper, and garlic, continue to cook until mixture becomes a deep dark golden brown. Stir in 1 quart of the seafood stock and seasonings. Stir in Shrimp, allow it to begin to boil before adding in the remaining 3 quarts of seafood stock. Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat. ( If you are using raw, whole gumbo crabs you should add them in as soon as the mixture comes back to a boil after adding in the shrimp.)
2. Add in the oysters with their liquor and the crab meat, the parsley and green onions. Allow Gumbo to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle gumbo file' over the top of soup, stir into mixture gently. Serve over hot rice.
3. Note: Gumbo is usually served as a main course soup. I like to put 1/2 cup of rice into the bottom of a deep soup bowl, sprinkle the rice lightly with additional gumbo file'. Then ladle on about 1 1/2 cups of the broth, make sure to get some of all the seafood in each bowl. At my house, I always make potato salad to accompany gumbo, it just goes really well with it.