Seafood Gumbo
Photo by Rush Jagoe

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yields

20 servings

    Crab or Shrimp Stock
  • 2 cups canola oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 5 pounds andouille sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 2-inch long pieces
  • 4 cups diced onions
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 2 cups diced red bell pepper
  • 2 cups diced green bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped garlic
  • 1 pound okra, sliced into ¼-inch slices
  • 1 teaspoon filé powder
  • 4 cups diced tomatoes
  • ⅛ teaspoon creole spice
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • ⅓ cup kosher salt
  • 3 gallons crab stock or shrimp stock (recipe follows)
  • 2 pounds jumbo lump crabmeat
  • 2 pounds (21/25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 40 freshly shucked oysters
  • ½ cup Crystal hot sauce,Steamed Basmati Rice (recipe follows),Scallions, for garnish
  • Steamed Basmati Rice
  • 5 pounds crab bodies or shrimp shells 
  • 1 onion, peeled
  • 1 whole head garlic, halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 black peppercorn
  • 3 gallons cold water
  • 1 pound basmati rice
  • 3 cups water,Salt
steps
  1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour. Whisk constantly until roux is mahogany brown, being careful not to burn.
  2. Add sausage, onion, celery, peppers, garlic, and okra. Stir carefully until vegetables cook through, about 5 minutes. Add filé, tomatoes, creole spice, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and crab stock, and bring to simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, skimming away oils or impurities that rise to surface.
  3. Add crabmeat, shrimp, and oysters and bring back to simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in hot sauce
    before serving. Serve with 2 tablespoons Steamed Basmati Rice (recipe follows) and chopped scallions for garnish.

Crab or Shrimp Stock 

  1. Place all ingredients in large stockpot and simmer for 1 hour, skimming away impurities that come to the surface.
  2. Strain and reserve.

Steamed Basmati Rice

  1. Using strainer, rinse rice under cold running water. Place rice in large bowl filled with cold water, and soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Note: Soaking rice before cooking gives it a softer texture. Be sure to drain it well.
  2. Drain rice and transfer to sauce pot with pinch salt. In separate pot, boil water. Once boiling, measure out 3 cups and pour over rice. Set pot over medium-high heat.
  3. When water starts boiling and steaming again, cover tightly with aluminum foil, crimping edges around rim of pot (so no steam escapes). Place pot lid over foil and turn heat down to just above its lowest setting. Let rice cook for 15 minutes, undisturbed, then remove pot from heat. With lid still on, let rice steam another 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.
  • From Slade Rushing of Brennan's, New Orleans, Louisiana

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