Southern Seafood Gumbo

Alan in SW Florida's Note:

This is the easiest, freshest tasting gumbo that I've found. Not greasy or heavy. And the seafood, for which you've paid dearly, is wonderful. Serve with a crusty garlic bread.

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 medium onions , chopped
• 5 garlic cloves , minced
• ¼ lb ham , diced
• 12 okra pods , sliced
• ¼ teaspoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , minced
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• salt , to taste
• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes , undrained (14.5 ounce can)
• 7 cups water
• 1 cup oyster juice , reserved from oysters
• 1 lb raw large shrimp , peeled and deveined
• 1 lb crabmeat , picked over for shells
• 1 pint small oyster , drained and liquor reserved
• 1 tablespoon gumbo file
• 4 -5 cups cooked white rice

Directions:

1. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in large kettle or stockpot. Add flour. Make a roux, by cooking and stirring this constantly with a wooden spoon, until the color turns from gold to dark red. (Don't stop stirring for a second, or you will scorch the roux!) When the roux is red-colored, remove from the heat. Set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a very large skillet. Saute chopped onions and garlic until soft. Add ham. Stir and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Then add okra, stirring and cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaves, parsley, pepper, salt, tomatoes, water, and liquor from oysters. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add this entire mixture to roux in kettle. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to gentle boil. Stirring constantly, cook for 1 hour.
4. Add shrimp and crab meat. Cook 2 minutes. Add oysters. Cook 1 minute more. Add gumbo file at very last. Stir well.
5. Serve in bowls with a 1/2 cup of rice in each.