Mobile's Original Creole Gumbo.

Yes, I know that I supposedly brought the gumbo posts to an end. But I picked up one of the local free papers today, and this recipe struck me. It has all sorts of things in it - beef, chicken, blue crabs, shrimp, & oysters!

Mobile's Original Creole Gumbo

2 pounds lean beef, cubed
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
6 cups of water
3 pounds cut okra
2 TBSP vegetable oil
3 cups roux
1/3 cup file
2 cups each - chopped onions, celery, & green pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
6 TBSP chopped garlic
2 TBSP thyme leaves
1-2 TSP cayenne pepper
1 dozen whole bay leaves (do not crush)
3 cups peeled crushed tomatoes, with juice
1 gallon chicken stock (or water)
1 dozen whole cleaned blue crabs
3-4 pounds peeled, deveined shrimp raw shrimp
2 quarts oysters, with liquid

This makes about three gallons.

Roux - traditional method: 1.5 cups vegetable oil or shortening, 1.5 cups plain all-purpose flour. Mix oil & flour in heavy bottom Dutch oven. Whisk constantly over medium heat until medium brown in color, 20-30 minutes.
Modern Method - Mix oil & flour in a microwave-safe dish and cook on high for 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly and return to microwave for another 5 minutes, repeating until roux is a medium brown color.

You will need a 5-6 gallon pot with a heavy bottom. Cook the cubed beef in 6 cups of water seasoned with salt & pepper until the meat is tender. Reserve liquid. Cook the sliced okra in vegetable oil over low heat until okra is no longer "ropey." Do not brown or burn okra. Put roux in gumbo pot. While the roux is hot, add file powder and stir for two minutes. Add peppers, celery, onions, bay leaves, & seasonings. Cook slowly until peppers, onion, & celery are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add parsley & garlic and cook until the roux forms a large ball, about five minutes. Add stock (or water) and tomatoes, juice, and cooked okra. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add cubed raw chicken and the whole crabs. Simmer 15 minutes. Add beef and beef broth and all remaining ingredients, including shrimp. Cook five minutes. Return to boil. Adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Serve over steamed rice. (For seafood gumbo, omit beef & chicken and use seafood broth or water. Add more seafood is desired.)