Emeril's Seafood Okra Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs olive oil
• ½ C chopped onions
• ¼ C chopped celery
• ¼ C chopped green bell peppers
• ¼ C chopped red bell peppers
• 1 tbs salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ C Italian plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tbs minced shallots
• 2 qt Fish Stock
• ½ lb firm fish, such as grouper, tilefish, monkfish, or sea bass, diced
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp hot pepper sauce
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 tbs minced fresh basil
• 1 tsp minced fresh oregano
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 C fresh okra, sliced (about 8 large okra)
• 2 tsp creole seasoning
• ½ lb peeled medium fresh shrimp
• 1 C shucked fresh oysters, with their liquor
• ½ lb fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• 1 tsp file' powder
• ½ C chopped green onions
• 4 C cooked long-grain white rice

Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, and green and red peppers and saute' for 1 minute. Add the salt and pepper and saute' for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, garlic, shallots and saute', stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes.

Stir in the stock, add the fish, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, bay leaves, basil, oregano, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium.

Fold in the okra and creole seasoning, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Skim the impurities from the top of the gumbo, turn the heat to high, and cook for 5 minutes. Fold in the shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly sprinkle in the file', stirring to incorporate it thoroughly, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve over rice topped with green onions.

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Michael Fritsche
mbf@fritsche.org

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