Seafood Gumbo
The wife gets all the credit for this fantastic recipe. Don't freak out about the lack of onions, I bet you won't miss them at all.
Ingredients
- 1 T basil
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 bell peppers half of a green, half of a red
- 1 # bivalves
- 1 t black pepper
- ½ c butter
- 1 t cayenne pepper
- ¾ c celery
- 6 oz clams minced
- 10 oz clams whole
- 12 oz crab
- 1+ T filé
- 1¼ # fish
- ½ c flour all-purpose
- 1-1½ c okra
- 1 T oregano
- 2 T red pepper flakes
- 1 t salt
- 1 # scallops
- 8 oz shrimp tiny, canned
- 1 # shrimp whole, deveined
- 2 T thyme leaves
- 30 oz diced tomatoes
- ½ c white vinegar
Instructions
Preparation
- Start defrosting any frozen seafood you will be using.
- Dice the bell peppers and celery.
- Slice the okra into ¼" to ½" thick rounds. Put the okra and white vinegar in a small pot over high heat. Cook the okra for about 5 minutes, until it changes color. Rinse the okra in cold water.
- Open the canned seafood. Do not drain off the liquid, it will go in the gumbo.
- Wash your bivalves, checking to make sure they are all tightly closed. If one is open, throw it away.
Cooking
- First, cook the roux. Melt the butter in your big pot over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes until the roux turns brown.
- Add the bell peppers, celery, and okra. Cook for 5 more minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices. Cook for another 30 minutes.
- Add the canned seafood along with all of the juices. Also add the fresh seafood. Cook for at least one more hour. Make sure all of your bivalves have opened. If one hasn't opened, remove it and throw it away.
Service
- Serve in a bowl with an icecream scoop of white rice in the middle. If you make this with bivalves, make sure to include a nice open shell or two on top as a visual garnish.
Notes
If you must have onion, dice a white onion and add it with the celery.
Filé is a powder made from sassafras, and is available in any major grocery store in the spice aisle.