Seafood Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup bacon drippings
- 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
- 3 quarts unsalted chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend
- 4 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons gumbo file powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 pound lump crabmeat
- 3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons gumbo filé powder (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Make a roux by whisking flour and ¾ cup bacon drippings together in large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
Step 2
Place celery, onion, green bell pepper and garlic into work bowl of food processor and pulse until vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir vegetables into roux and mix in sausage. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 3
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large Dutch oven or a soup pot. Reduce heat to a simmer and mix in sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45 minute mark.
Step 4
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in a skillet and cook okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove okra with slotted spoon and stir into simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of filé gumbo powder to thicken the roux. Serve over hot rice.