Seafood File Gumbo

Description

This is a big recipe and a big time-consumer, but delicious! Serve gumbo over 1/3 cup cooked rice per serving in bowls.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 5 quarts water
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 4 onions, quartered
  • ½ bunch celery, sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • ½ tablespoon ground white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 16 ounces crabmeat
  • 1 bay leaf, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup corn oil
  • 2 cups diced onion
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 2 cups chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons
  • 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
  • 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
  • 1 pint shucked oysters

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Shell and devein the shrimp
  3. reserve the shells. Place the shrimp in a covered bowl and refrigerate. Place the shells on a cookie sheet
  4. and bake until the shells are dried and starting to brown on the edges. Turn off the oven.
  5. Make the stock: In a 8 quart pot
  6. put 5 quarts of water
  7. 4 carrots
  8. 4 onions
  9. and celery. Add 2 bay leaves
  10. sliced garlic
  11. parsley
  12. cloves
  13. 1 teaspoons black pepper
  14. 1 tablespoon dried basil and 2 teaspoons dried thyme. Add the shrimp shells. Bring the stock slowly to boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook 5 to 7 hours
  15. replacing water as needed
  16. 2 or 3 times
  17. by pouring more water down side of pot.
  18. Remove stock from heat and strain. Press all liquid from the shells and vegetables
  19. then discard them. Return liquid to heat and reduce stock to 2 to 3 quarts
  20. or to your desired quantity (you will need 7 cups of this stock for this recipe). If clarity is desired
  21. strain the stock through a cloth.
  22. In a small bowl
  23. combine the ground red
  24. white
  25. and black peppers
  26. paprika
  27. thyme
  28. oregano
  29. bay leaf and salt and set aside.
  30. In a heavy pot
  31. 5-quart or larger
  32. heat oil over medium heat
  33. warming the pot first. Add onions
  34. celery and green pepper. Turn heat to high. Stirring frequently
  35. add garlic
  36. file
  37. hot pepper sauce
  38. and the pepper-herb mixture. Cook for 5 minutes
  39. stirring constantly. Add tomato sauce and stir as it reduces over high heat. Add 7 cups of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour
  40. stirring occasionally.
  41. When ready to serve
  42. add shrimp
  43. oysters
  44. and crabmeat. Cover and wait 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 8 hrs 50 mins

Total Time: 9 hrs 25 mins

Servings: 8

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