Leftover Crawfish = Gumbo

So, halfway through our crawfish meal, Ray had to stop eating. Even after taking 2 Beano's, he still couldn't eat anymore. The crawfish were having a field day on his stomach. I ate most of the crawfish, but after 3 pounds, my stomach couldn't hold anymore down. Ray suggested that I make gumbo with the leftovers. That's a daunting task, I say out loud. Considering that I have very little culinary experience in the field of cajun/creole cuisine. But, it was a challenge and I set out to do it. After all, I did have a brand new Le Creuset Dutch Oven that Ray's mom had just bought us. Thanks to Helen and Bobby for the hook up from Williams Sonoma.

Well, many ingredients later...this was the end result. It turned out pretty good, except it was VERY spicy.

Here's the recipe that I used, courtesy of Williams Sonoma:

Spicy Seafood and Sausage Gumbo

(*The recipe doesn't require crawfish since it is not readily available everywhere. I had leftovers so I was able to add it in place of the crab meat.)

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1/2 lb. okra (frozen works fine)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juices
5 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 Tbs. Creole seasoning blend
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch
slices
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup fresh-cooked crabmeat, picked over
to remove any shell fragments
1 tsp. filé powder

Cooked white rice for serving

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Directions:
Dice the onion and the green and red bell peppers. Set aside. Trim the stems from the okra pods, then cut the pods crosswise into slices 1/2 inch thick. In a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the canola oil. Add the okra and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pot over medium heat, warm the remaining 6 Tbs. oil for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until incorporated. Cook the mixture, or roux, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until dark brown, about 4 minutes. Do not let the roux turn black. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the reserved okra, the tomatoes with their juices, stock, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Stir in the sausage, shrimp and crabmeat and cook until the sausage is heated through and the shrimp are pink, 3 minutes more. Sprinkle in the filé powder and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves.

To serve, spoon white rice into warmed bowls, ladle the gumbo on top and garnish with the parsley. Serves 6.