Filé Gumbo
- Yield: 10-12 servings
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
Gumbo filé powder is the dried and ground leaves of sassafras used as an herb and thickener in some Creole and Cajun recipes. It has a faint but distinctive flavor.
Ingredients
- 3/4cup vegetable oil
- 3/4cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2teaspoon dried basil
- 1tablespoon salt
- 1-- bay leaf, crushed
- 3/4teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2cup diced celery
- 1/2cup diced bell pepper
- 1/2cup diced white onion
- 4-- garlic cloves, minced
- 1quart reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1quart clam juice
- 1 1/2pounds small or medium shrimp, peeled, shells reserved
- 1-- (14-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2cups fresh shelled oysters, drained
- 1pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
- 1pound frozen crawfish tail meat
- 8cups cooked white rice
- 4-- green onions, chopped
- -- Filé powder
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir in flour; cook until smooth and darkened (about the color of a penny). Add thyme and next 9 ingredients (thyme through garlic). Cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and cool about 30 minutes.
- Bring chicken broth, clam juice and reserved shrimp shells to a boil in a large pot. Cook 10 minutes. Remove shrimp shells, and reserve stock.
- Add vegetable mixture to stock and blend well. Add tomatoes, oysters, crab, crawfish and shrimp. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Serve over rice; sprinkle with green onions. Pass filé powder at the table for sprinkling on each serving. Serves 16.
Nutritional Info *per serving
- Calories 340
- Glycemic Load 0
- Fat 13g
- Saturated Fat 1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 7g
- Monounsaturated Fat 2.5g
- Cholesterol 125mg
- Sodium 780mg
- Potassium 440mg
- Carbohydrate 32g
- Fiber 1g
- Sugars 1g
- Protein 23g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Vitamin A 8%
- Vitamin C 20%
- Calcium 10%
- Iron 25%