Coffee With Pat Ministries

~SEAFOOD GUMBO~

1 cup flour

1 cup oil

1 large onion

1 pint oysters (3-4 dozen)

2-3 garlic pods

1 lb. peeled shrimp

1/2 bell pepper

4- celery stems

1 lb. crab claw meat

1/2 cup parsley

3 tsp. salt

1/2 cup green onions-chop

2 tsb. black pepper

3 quarts water

1 tsp. red pepper

3 bay leaves

1/2 doz. whole cleaned crab

Make a roux with equal parts oil and flour. Cook slowly, stirring often, until brown. Add cut up onion, celery,  garlic, and bell pepper to the roux. Carefully stir roux until it has cooled down. Slowly add 3 quarts of water, stirring while you pour. Add salt, red pepper and black pepper. Add crab claw meat, and several cleaned whole crabs and cook an hour. Add shrimp and liquid from pint of oysters, simmer for 30 minutes. About 15-20 minutes before you serve the gumbo, add oysters, chopped parsley, bay leaves and green onion tops. Serve on rice. Have fresh file’ on hand to allow guests to add their own. A side dish of potato salad is always appreciated. Oh by the way….don’t eat the bay leaves. This freezes well. However, do not freeze the gumbo with oysters in it. Add fresh ones before serving. Gumbo always seems to taste better after it has set overnight. I usually try to prepare mine the day before I serve it.