Spicy Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 medium onions, chopped
• 8 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 (28 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen okra, sliced, thawed
• 1 pound crab claws
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 5 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried whole thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried whole basil
• 2 teaspoons dried whole oregano
• 2 teaspoons sage
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds medium-size shrimp, unpeeled
• 1 quart oysters, undrained
• 1 pound crab meat
• 1 pound fish fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Hot cooked rice
• File powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine oil and flour in a cast iron skillet; cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring constantly, until roux is brown, but NOT black.
2. Stir in onion, celery, and garlic; cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Transfer mixture to a Dutch oven. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, okra, crab claws, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, sage and pepper; simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Peel and devein shrimp. Add shrimp, oysters, crab meat and fish to Dutch oven; simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Remove and discard bay leaves.
6. Serve gumbo over hot rice and, if desired, sprinkle with file.

Attribution

Photo credit: jeffreyw on Visualhunt