6 ea Bay Leaves

5 tsp Creole Seasoning

4 tbs Butter

1 cup Olive Oil

1 cup plus 4 tbs Regular Oil

2 cups Flour

8 cups Chicken Broth

2-1/2 cups Yellow Onions, Chopped Fine

2 cups Bell Peppers, Chopped Fine

1 cup Celery, Chopped Fine

2 tbs Garlic, Minced Fine

2 tbs Parsley, Chopped Fine

4 tsp Worchester Sauce

2 tsp Tabasco Sauce

½ cup Green Onions, Chopped Fine

2 ea 14 oz can Tomatoes, Diced

1 lb Sausage, Diced (Andouille)

1-1/2 lbs Okra, Cut

½ tsp Thyme

½ tsp Basil

¼ tsp Oregano

½ tsp Black Pepper

¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Garlic Salt

½ tsp White Pepper

2 lbs Med Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined

2 lbs Crab Meat, Can use imitation

In a large cast iron skillet, sauté shrimp in butter with 2 tsp Creole seasoning until pink. Stir in crab meat. Blend and remove from skillet.

Place 4 cups of chicken broth and bay leaves in large pot. Place on low heat.

To make the roux, pour olive oil and I cup vegetable oil into skillet with juices from shrimp. Heat over medium-high. Slowly whisk flour into skillet and stir well with metal spatula to remove lumps. Stir roux steady for 15 to 20 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of skillet until roux is chocolate brown. Turn off heat. Add chopped onion, green pepper, celery and garlic to the roux, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes until onions are translucent. Gradually add roux mixture to hot stock and blend well. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add remaining tsp of Creole seasoning, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, peppers, salt, garlic salt, Worchester, Tabasco, green onions, andouille sausage  and diced tomatoes with juices to stock pot. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Skim fat off surface of pot, add seafood and simmer 10 minutes.

While seafood is cooking, add 4 tbs vegetable oil to skillet and sauté sliced okra on medium/high heat until it is tender and no longer slimy (10-15 minutes). Add to stock and simmer 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

*Add chicken broth if the gumbo is too thick.

Serve over white rice. Add file powder if desired. Makes 24 cups. Preparation time 45 minutes. Cooking time 1-1/2 hours. Recipe sounds complicated, but well worth the effort!

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