Guidry's Seafood Gumbo INGREDIENTS: Flour Cooking Oil 3 or 4 lbs Chicken in Pieces 1 1/2 lbs shrimp (weight before peeling) 8 oz. Imitation Crab Meat 1 lb Fresh or Frozen Okra (Chopped) 3 Bell Peppers (chopped) 1 Large Onion (chopped) 1 Bunch Celery (chopped) Black Pepper Red Pepper Garlic Powder Dry Basil 1 Dried Bay Leaf Sugar 2 14 oz cans Stewed Tomatoes 5 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth File ("fee-lay"--- spices or specialty foods section) Kitchen Bouquet (Brand Name--Look in Spices at Supermarket) Ketchup Tabasco Sauce (McElhenney) Roux (See recipe if not commercially available) THE ROUX: I usually use Savoie's Roux, which is easily bought in the grocery store in Louisiana. If not available, make in the following way. (Be VERY CAREFUL while making the roux because the hot paste will do a lot of damage if it splashes on you. I would use a glove to stir it.) This will make enough roux for several gumbos. Mix about 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup cooking oil into a paste in a microwave-safe flat pan (a glass pie plate is ideal), put the pan in the microwave and cover top with wax paper. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, watching carefully. (The name of the game is to burn the mixture, but not too badly). Stir well and microwave for another 3 minutes. Stir again. Now microwave 1 minute at a time, stirring after each minute, until the mixture is a thick, dark brown (but not black) paste. Set aside. Once cool, it can be stored for at least several months in the refrigerator. After it sets for a while a layer of oil will accumulate on the surface that can be thrown away. Tips: You may have to adjust the times according to the power of the microwave. Just do it carefully a step at a time until the roux is dark brown but not black. This can also be done in a frying pan on the stove (that is the traditional way), but then you have to be more careful, stirring constantly and adjusting the heat to brown it without burning it. PREPROCESSING THE OKRA: Place the okra in a frying pan with enough oil to keep it from sticking. Cook slowly on medium heat, stirring frequently until the "slime" from the okra has disappeared and it is starting to brown a little. Remove okra from the pan and set aside. (This can be done in parallel with cooking the chicken) THE GUMBO: Put the chicken in a large pan with enough oil to keep it from sticking, add 1 tsp black pepper, and brown on medium heat. Remove the chicken and set aside. Drain off the liquid into a pyrex cup and place it in the refrigerator (until any grease solidifies at top). Add just enough vegetable oil to the pan to leave a thin layer covering the bottom. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, okra to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until vegatables are well-wilted and beginning to brown (probably 15-20 minutes). Adjust heat as necessary, and maybe add a little oil as necessary, to keep from sticking to the pan bottom too much. While cooking the vegetables, add 2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dry basil, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 dry bay leaf, 1/4 tsp red pepper Add the chicken back to the cooked vegetables and add 5 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth 3 heaping tablespoons of the roux mixture 1/2 tsp file Bring the mixture to a boil and keep at a low boil for about 20 minutes (this causes the roux and the okra to thicken the mixture). While boiling, add 2 14-oz. cans chopped stewed tomatoes 1/4 cup ketchup Add 1 1/2 lbs peeled shrimp, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. While simmering, add enough Kitchen Bouquet to give a dark brown color to the liquid (probably 2-3 tablespoons). When the liquid in the pyrex container has cooled enough to form a layer of grease at the top, skim it off and add the remaining liquid back to the gumbo. Now add 8 oz imitation crab meat, 1 tsp file 1 tsp tabasco sauce Simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust to your taste using salt and tabasco. Let the mixture cool 20-30 minutes. While cooling, remove any oil from the surface by skimming, and by placing paper towels on the surface to absorb the surface layer and discarding the paper towel. Serve in bowls with rice, with file sprinkled on the mixture in the bowls, and with tabasco and file on the table for individual adjustment. Tip: This recipe is one of those things that taste better after cooling and reheating. My usual experience is that it will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, and that the flavor peaks after 2-3 days.