Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 medium onions, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 large green peppers, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 (14 1/2 oz,.) cans Italian-style tomatoes, undrained and chopped
- 2 (10 oz. ) packages frozen sliced okra, thawed
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 quarts waer
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried whole thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning (see recipe below)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
- 2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 12 oz. container fresh Standard oysters, undrained
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
- Hot cooked rice
- CREOLE SEASONING
- Combing ingredients and store in an airtight jar or container
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dired oregano
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Preparation
Step 1
THE ROUX
Making a roux is not hard, but takes time and patience. Basically you are cooking butter and flour until it darkens. Some dishes call for a light colored, or blond roux and some need a medium,dark brown color, and others call for a dark, almost black roux. This is achieved by cooking it for different lengths of time. Making a dark roux is tricky, since it takes a bit of skill to get it dark enough without burning it. This recipe calls for a medium to dark roux. A good roux is essential for the success of this dish. If it burns,you will need to start over.
Melt the oil in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour 1 tablespoon at a time and cook, whisking constantly. After 5 minutes or so the mixture will begin to foam and this foaming may continue for as long as 10 minutes. Keep stirring and after about 20 minutes, the roux will begin to darken and have a faintly nutty aroma. Continue to cook slowly, stirring constantly until the roux is a dark-brown, chocolate color. If black specks appear in the roux as it cooks, it has burned and you need to start over. Total cooking time should be about 30 to 45 minutes.
1. Stir in onions, green onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and the next 11 ingredients. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste the mixture at this point and add more salt or Creole seasoning if desired.
2. Discard bay leaves. Stir in shrimp, oysters, and parsley, simmer an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are done and edges of oysters begin to curl. Add the crab meat last so it won't cook away in the stew.
Serve gumbo with hot cooked rice.
Omit crab and oysters if you don't like them.