TENNESSEE SEAFOOD LOVER'S GUMBO

TENNESSEE SEAFOOD LOVER'S GUMBO

You will need a very large heavy pot (at least 2 gallon) for this recipe!! Quantities and kinds of seafood can be amended to account for taste, availability and pocketbook without damaging the recipe. SEAFOOD: 1 lb. fresh white fish, cut into 1 inch chunks (any firm white fish will do) 2 lbs. fresh shrimp, heads & shells removed & used for fish stock) 2 lbs. fresh lump crabmeat with shell fagments removed 2 pts. fresh oysters 1 lg. can (approx. 2 cups) baby clams, strained (use juice for fish stock) 8 c. basic fish or seafood stock VEGGIES: 2 c. onion, chopped 2 lg. cloves garlic, minced 2 c. fresh celery, chopped 2 c. fresh sweet bell pepper, chopped 2 c. sliced fresh okra 1 lg. can (approx. 1 lb.) canned whole tomatoes, crushed & drained 2 c. tomato sauce 6 c. white rice, cooked 1 c. butter SPICES: 4 tsp. gumbo file powder 2 tsp. ground red (cayenne) pepper 2 tsp. white pepper 2 tsp. ground black pepper 2 tsp. sweet paprika 1 tsp. dried thyme leave 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves 1 bay leaf, crushed 2 tsp. Tabasco sauce BASIC FISH OR SEAFOOD STOCK: this is best prepared ahead of time. At my house, over the year, whenever we have seafood or fish, fish bones, and shells from crabs, shrimp, and occasionally lobster are boiled for stock and frozen. When making the stock, always boil the discards for 12 to 36 hours, depending on your schedule, etc. then remove and strain the broth to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pot and boil to reduce until very concentrated. The volume will be determined by the amount of time you have to devote to the task, but I always try to reduce it to about 1/4 the original volume. The resulting stock has concentrated flavor and can be reconstituted with water to meet the need. Freezes well. GUMBO: Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside. In the large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook these until they start to get soft, stirring constantly. Increase the heat to high and stir in the seasoning mix and okra. Cook 6 minutes stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Continue cooking for 5 minutes stirring constantly. During this time, the mixture will want to stick to the bottom of the pan. Continually scrape the pan bottom with a spoon. The scrapings will add to the flavor of the gumbo as well as decrease the file powder's ability to thicken. Add the stock and bring the gumbo to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When the time is up, add the seafood and cover the pot. Allow to sit covered for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve over the rice. Serves 12.