Seafood Gumbo

By Rhino 7145

Seafood gumbo, packed with shrimp, oysters, red snapper, and, especially Louisiana blue crab, is a classic South Louisiana dish. Ben Thibodeaux, chef de cuisine of Dickie Brennan’s Tableau in Le Petit Theatre, says, “Our warm, fertile waters help our blue crabs get nice and fat, which lends a sweetness to the meat. Whether it’s crab claws sauteed in browned butter or jumbo lump meat in a bit of ravigote sauce, the simpler, the better. Our blue crabs really are the very best.”

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 cups chopped okra
• 1 1/2 cups beer, such as Abita Amber
• 6 cups seafood stock
• 2 tablespoons file powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 (8-ounce) container crab claw meat, picked free of shells
• 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound red snapper fillets, chopped
• 2 (8-ounce) containers shucked oysters
• 1 (8-ounce) container jumbo lump crabmeat, picked free of shells
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Hot cooked rice
• Garnish: chopped green onion

Preparation

Step 1

In an 8-quart stockpot, heat oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes; add flour, and stir together to form a roux. Cook, stirring often, until roux is the color of peanut butter, about 20 minutes.
Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and okra. Cook vegetables, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add beer, stock, file powder, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, crab claw meat, Worcestershire, salt, and cayenne. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 1 hour.
Add shrimp, fish, oysters, and lump crabmeat to mixture. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until seafood is cooked through; add parsley.
Serve with rice, and garnish with green onion, if desired.