Fat Catz Gumbo
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 turns freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped Italian plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 2 quarts Shrimp Stock
- 1/2 pound (about 1 cup) firm-fleshed fish, such as grouper, tilefish, monkfish, or sea bass, diced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup sliced fresh okra (about 8 large okra)
- 2 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
- 1/2 pound peeled medium fresh shrimp
- 1 cup shucked fresh oysters, with their liquor
- 1/2 pound (about 1 cup) fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
- 1 teaspoon filÈ powder
- 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice, warm
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped green onions
Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, and green and red peppers and saute for 1 minute.
Add the salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes.
Stir in the stock, add the fish, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, bay leaves, basil, oregano, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium.
Fold in the okra and Creole Seasoning, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Skim the impurities from the top of the gumbo, turn the heat to high, and cook for 5 minutes.
Fold in the shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Slowly sprinkle in the file, stirring to incorporate it thoroughly, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
To serve as a first course, ladle 1 cup of the gumbo into each of 12 gumbo bowls or soup plates, and add 1/3 cup of the rice to each. For a main course, allow 1 1/2 cups gumbo and 1/2 cup of rice. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of the green onions.
