Brooksie's Seafood Gumbo

[Mayhaw Man]

Brooksie's Seafood Gumbo

Serves 24 as Soupor 18 as Main Dish.

The following recipe for Seafood Gumbo (it appears in recipegullet, as well) is from My Mother's Cookbook. I have copied it verbatim, so there will be "some splainin' to do" as her directions automatically assume some that everybody reading the book learned how to cook from her and my grandmother. One of my SIL's claims that it is written in some kind of old Confederate Code that she does not have the key to. When I type this, it's funny how I hear her voice-the nice one, not the one that starts out with "Brooks!, Have you lost your mind?"

This takes alot of time, but it makes plenty and can be frozen in different size containers to pull out when you don't want to cook. Good on a cold winter's day when you have lots of time and money. It's not cheap. Good to cook the chicken for the stock (if you don't have stock in the freezer) and put it in the fridge overnight so the fat can be skimmed off the next day before use.

• 1 c peanut oil
  
• 1 c flour
  
• 8 ribs chopped celery
  
• 1 bunch green onions
  
• 1 green bell pepper
  
• 1 red bell pepper
  
• 5 cloves garlic
  
• 1/2 c chopped flatleaf parsley
  
• 1 lb okra
  
• 2 tbls. peanut oil
  
• 4 qt stock
  
• 1/2 c worcestershire
  
• 1 tsp Tabasco
  
• 1/2 c tomato sauce
  
• 1 16 oz can Cento plum tomatoes
  
• 2 tbls. salt
  
• 1 thick slice ham, finely chopped
  
• 1/2 tsp thyme
  
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
  
• 1 lb claw meat
  
• 4 lb gumbo shrimp
  
• 1 pt oysters
  
• 1 lb gumbo crabs
  
• 1 tsp brown sugar
  

lemon juice to taste

• 
  

Make medium dark roux with oil and flour.

Add chopped vegetables to stop roux from burning

Cover tightly and cook on medium for 45 minutes (don't scorch!)

Fry sliced okra in the 2 tbls. oil until slightly brown

Add okra to veg. mixture

Add stock and all of the seasonings to the veg.

Simmer for 2 1/2 hours

Add chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, ham and simmer for 30 more minutes

If using oysters add them 10 minutes before end of simmer

Add brown sugar and lemon juice

Serve in bowls with rice and sprinkle with Filet

Keywords: Soup, Main Dish, Intermediate

( RG1080 )