Seafood File Gumbo

Gingerbear's Note:

A friend loaned my a Cajun Cookbook and that is where this recipe came from. They all look so delicious!

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• ½ cup corn oil or ½ cup lard
• 1⁄3; cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion , peeled and chopped
• ¼ cup chopped scallion
• 1 -2 clove garlic , peeled and minced
• 1 stalk celery , chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes , in tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 allspice berries
• 4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 quarts cold water
• 2 cups white lump crabmeat (several small whole crabs, cleaned, or cracked crab claws)
• 1 lb uncooked medium shrimp , peeled and deveined
• 1 ½-2 tablespoons file powder

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan and add the flour.
2. Cook, stirring, to make a medium-brown roux (the color of peanut butter).
3. Add the onion, scallions, garlic and celery and cook until softened.
4. Add the tomatoes with their juice, breaking them down with the side of a spoon, then add the tomato paste, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, allspice, cloves, salt, peppers, cayenne to taste, lemon juice and water.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring well.
6. Add half the crabmeat and the whole crabs or claws.
7. Simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
8. If you like, you can scoop out allspice, cloves and bay leaf.
9. Add the shrimp and the remaining crab and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
10. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in enough file powder to thicken.
11. Do not boil the gumbo after adding the file powder.
12. Serve hot.
13. NOTE*****Other seafood, such as purged crawfish, lobster and well scrubbed clams may be added to the gumbo, as available.
14. Cooked seafood may be used, too.
15. The finished gumbo will not have the richness of flavor given by crab cooked in it, but will still be delicious.
16. Just heat cooked seafood through in the finished sauce.