Cliff's Shrimp and Crab Gumbo
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I put this recipe together from several recipes that I could find for shrimp or seafood gumbo, using the best parts and ideas from each recipe. It turned out excellent! Having lived in New Orleans, we have eaten a lot of great gumbos. I would put this recipe right up there with any that we were served at a restaurant. We don't add oysters because Anna and I don't really like them, but feel free to add them if it suits your taste.

It's a lot of work, but well worth the effort. When you have an afternoon, give it a try.

1/2 - 3/4 cup "Savoie's Dark Roux"
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 bell or anahiem pepper, chopped
1 1/2 ribs celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb okra, split lengthwise and sliced
2 quarts shrimp stock
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbls black pepper
1 tbls salt		 1 tbls creole seasoning (salt free)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small bay leaf
2 tbls butter (not margarine)
1 lb medium shrimp, in the shell
1/2 lb fresh crabmeat, picked over
1 /2 lb crab claws
3/4 lb andouille sausage, thinly sliced
cooked rice
Peel and devine the shrimp. Use shrimp shells, and heads if you have them, to make the shrimp stock. If using the head, pinch off the front portion of the head that contains the eyes. Add the 2 quarts of water, the shrimp shells, a carrot, one small onion, and a small celery stalk, one small garlic clove, and a few black peppercorns to the a pot. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

Brown the andouille sausage in a little vegetable oil. Remove the sausage from the heat and place on paper towel to remove oil. Add the okra to the same pan and cook, stirring often, until the okra just starts to break down. About 5 to 7 minutes.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in the pot that you plan to use for the gumbo, and briefly saute the rest of the vegetables until just tender. Add the shrimp stock to the pot, and bring it to a simmer. Add the roux and stir vigorously with a whisk until the roux is completely dissolved. Add the cooked okra and the dry seasonings. Mix well. Simmer over low heat for an hour, adding water as needed to keep the consistence that you want.

Add the andouille when the vegetables start to breakdown (after about 30 minutes). Add the butter and crab claws after about 45 minutes.

Add the shrimp about 5 minutes before serving, then add the crab meat, then cook over low heat just until the shrimp turn pink and the crab is warmed through. Stir gently to keep from breaking up the crab meat to much. Serve in large soup or gumbo bowls over about 1/2 cup of cooked rice per serving.