Ingredients

• 2 lbs raw shrimp (peeled and washed)
• 1 lb crabs claws
• 1 pint of raw oysters
• 1 lb crawfish tails
• 1 c. vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of bacon grease
• 1 c. flour
• ½ tsp gumbo file’
• Rice (measured per person)
• 1 large roughly chopped onion
• 1 large roughly chopped bell pepper
• 1 cup of chopped celery
• 1 to 1 ½ lbs okra cut into rounds
• 7 green onion stalks chopped
• ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 2 quarts of chicken stock, vegetable stock, seafood stock, or water (whatever is handy)
• 1 can of diced rotel tomatoes.

***Seafood stock can be made by boiling a halved onion (not the one listed in the ingredients above), 2 quarts of water, leftover shrimp shells, and leftover oyster juice for one hour. ***

Method

1. Add the bacon grease to a large black cast iron skillet. Brown the onion, okra, bell pepper, and celery. Remove and set aside.
2. You must start gumbo with a roux. This is the hardest part for some people. But, follow a few simple methods and you will be just fine.
3. In the same black cast iron skillet, heat 1 cup of oil over low heat. When the oil is warm, slowly start to pour in 1 cup of flour. Always remember to use equal parts oil and flour. Constantly stir the oil and flour over low heat until it is brown. This process usually takes around 20-30 minutes. A roux can be as dark as dark chocolate or as light as milk chocolate; that is just a matter of taste. But, if the roux burns, even a little bit, discard it and begin again.
4. Stir the onion, bell pepper, okra, and celery into the roux. Transfer the mixture to a heavy Dutch oven. Slowly add liquid (water or stock) combining well after each addition. Stir in all seasoning, green onion, crab claws, and tomatoes. Let this mixture slowly simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
5. Add oysters, crawfish tails, and shrimp. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Serve gumbo over cooked rice. File’ isn’t necessary, but if desired, it can be sprinkled over gumbo at the last minute.