Seafood Gumbo Recipes

File Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp. dried
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped green or red bell pepper, or combo of both
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 5 to 6 cups shrimp broth (can be made with shrimp bouillon cubes), or chicken broth, or combo of both
• 1 tsp. creole seasoning, or to taste (Tony Chachere's is good)
• 2 to 3 cups fresh or frozen chopped okra
• 1 to 2 pounds of meat, such as smoked sausage (Andouille is good), cooked diced chicken, shrimp, or combo of any
• cooked white rice
• gumbo file powder (found in spice section, Tony Chachere's is good)

Directions:

In a large heavy pot brown smoked sausage (if using) in oil. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Browning the sausage in the oil imparts a good flavor.

Add flour to oil and cook over medium heat about 10-15 minutes or until it turns brown. Be careful not to burn. It must come to this color very slowly and evenly. You will have to stir almost constantly, preferably with a whisk. This is called the roux.

Add onions, parsley, celery, bell peppers, and garlic and cook about 5-10 more minutes, stirring regularly. Add shrimp broth (and/ or chicken broth) and creole seasoning. Add chopped okra at this point, either fresh or a bag of frozen.

Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may add more broth or some water if the gumbo seems too thick. Add your pre-cooked sausage and/or chicken at this point, as well as raw peeled shrimp (if using) and simmer until shrimp is pink. Serve with white rice and a sprinkling of Gumbo File powder over each serving to thicken.

Source: My own gumbo recipe.

By Shawna from Paris, TN