Recipe: Seafood Gumbo I

Life is BIG when you have more than one seafood gumbo recipe in your very own Big Food Manual and Survivalist Flourishing Guide.

SEAFOOD GUMBO I

Makes a huge pot-ful

2 C olive oil

2 C flour (or more, up to 5 C)

6 C white onions, chopped coarse

3 C bell pepper, chopped

2 C green onion, white and pale green parts only, sliced

2 8 oz tomato sauce (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section).

½ C garlic

1 ½ C parsley, chopped fine

2 C dry white wine

2 dozen small crabs, bodies broken in half and large claws only, cleaned in boiling water

3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp ground Cayenne pepper

6 quarts water

3 Tbsp salt (maybe more, maybe less, depending on taste—taste gumbo first before adding)

Rice or wild rice (or both), file powder (for serving)

Have onions and bell peppers ready. Make a very dark roux, remove from fire when done, and immediately stir in onions and green peppers. Stir vegetables in roux until roux stops cooking. Pour in tomato sauce and stir in green onions, return to low flame, and stir until all are mixed in and roux is back to original color. Combine roux, garlic, parsley, water, Worcestershire sauce, Cayenne pepper, and wine in large stock pot or gumbo pot. Taste and stir in salt. Cook the mixture for 45 minutes, then drop in crabs and shrimp. Let gumbo cook slowly for 2 or more hours, stirring occasionally. Serve by mounding rice in bowl, sprinkle rice with file powder, and top with ladlefuls of hot gumbo.