Creole Gumbo - a weekend recipe

Happy Halloween!

One of the quintessential restaurants of the French Quarter in New Orleans is Antoine's. Here is their recipe, from their website, for Creole Gumbo, a New Orleans staple.

The Bouillabaisse of Louisiana appears in many forms. Ours is the classic Creole seafood gumbo.

Ingredients:
- 3/4 stick butter
- 2 cups chopped green onions
- 2 cups sliced okra
- 1 cup chopped white onions
- 2 cups raw peeled shrimp
- 2 cups raw oysters
- 1 cup chopped tomato pulp
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 1 1/2 quarts Fish Stock
- 3 crabs (top shell discard, cut into 4 pieces)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon File (sassafras)
- 3 cups cooked rice
- salt, pepper, and cayenne

Directions:Melt the butter and sauté the green onions, okra, white onions and crabs. In a separate pot put the shrimp, oysters, tomatoes and tomato juice with 1 1/2 quarts of Fish Stock and bring to a boil. Let boil for a minute, then add to the first pot.

In a small skillet, cook the butter and flour together until brown. Blend this brown roux with the File and some of the gumbo liquid and add to the gumbo. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.To serve, pour 1 1/2 cups of gumbo into each bowl over 1/2 cup rice. Serves 6.

Louisiana Mystery Writer