Haitian Creole Seafood Gumbo 

Ingredients

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William B. Plowman

Letting the roux brown.

Black Roux

2/3 cup butter 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup of each: 1/2 inch diced celery 1/2-inch diced yellow onion 1/2-inch red peppers 1/2-inch diced green peppers

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William B. Plowman

Making the gumbo base.

Gumbo Base

1 quart shrimp stock 1 cup ham stock 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic 1/2 pound cut okra (thaw if frozen) 1 pound Andouille sausage sliced 1/4-inch thick 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 cup skinned, seeded, diced plum tomatoes Pinch of baking soda 1 teaspoon fresh-picked thyme 1 tsp fresh-picked oregano, chopped coarsely 1 tablespoon gumbo file (ground sassafras leaves) 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Tabasco (or to taste) Salt and pepper to taste

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William B. Plowman

Sauteing the seafood.

Final Dish

Olive oil Chopped garlic Splash of white wine 1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp 1 pound large sea scallops, cut in half so they are still round 18 littleneck clams 18 purged and de-bearded jumbo mussels 4 cups cooked, lightly seasoned white rice

  

NPR.org, October 9, 2008 · Makes 1/2 gal (more than enough for six people)

Preparing The Gumbo Base

Like a lot of sauces, it's best to make this the day before and cool overnight in the refrigerator to allow flavors to meld together.

Heat stock while preparing roux. Melt butter in a heavy pan. Add flour and stir in. Stir roux constantly over medium heat until it reaches a uniform chocolate color.

Remove roux from heat and immediately add celery, peppers and onions (the holy trinity of Creole cooking). This will stop the caramelization process. Stir the gumbo file into the roux and add stock. Return the gumbo base to heat and bring to a simmer, stirring a few minutes to let the roux cook.

Bake sliced sausage in a hot oven until browned. Add the sausage, tomatoes and baking soda to the gumbo base and simmer for 20 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add herbs, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and okra.

Making The Final Dish

Cooking the seafood separately from the gumbo base allows the shellfish to maintain its own identity.

About an hour before you're ready to eat, reheat the gumbo base until it nearly simmers.

Sauté all the clams and mussels in olive oil, chopped garlic and a splash of white wine in a large skillet or heavy bottomed pan until they just start to pop open. Add the shrimp and scallops, and continue to sauté until they are about done (when they start to lose their transparency).

Add the seafood to the gumbo base and toss to mix. Serve in a single large bowl, using tongs to arrange the clams and mussels along the edge of the dish. Place the rice in the middle of the dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley or finely diced peppers for garnish, if desired.