This recipe was derived on January 4, 2014 from Paula Deen’s “Savannah Seafood Gumbo” that was found here. Changes made since then have been included and are cited in the chronological notes following the recipe.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil to dilute the 3 heaping soup spoons of Savoie’s Dark Roux. Bought at Don’s Cajun Meat Market in Lafayette LA.
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
5 celery ribs plus one center small rib with leaves, chopped
6 garlic cloves, diced
4 cups chicken broth, Ina Garten’s recipe
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil (did  not have but will next time)
1/3 cup dried parsley
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2-12″ long Best Stop’s Cajun-style beef and pork smokes sausage bought in Lafayette, LA.
4 cups cut okra-frozen
1/2 pound fresh peeled shrimp. Shrimp hulls were boiled for about an hour then the broth added to the pot after straining through a fine SS strainer.
File powder

Directions

1. In a No. 9 Wagner Dutch Oven add ~1/4C olive oil and three heaping soup spoons of Savoie’s Dark Roux. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the roux has blended with the oil to a smooth consistency.
2. Add onion, pepper, celery and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
3. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring as you go.
4. Add bay leaves, thyme, basil (we did not have this but would have added it), dried parsley, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, Worchestshire sauce and tomatoes.
5. Add Taso from Best Stop Meat Market in Lafayette LA and two links of beef and pork smoked sausage, also from Best Stop. Cut sausage into 1/4-inch pieces.
6. Simmered for 30 minutes then added the okra.
7. Covered pot and simmered for 30 minutes then added what looked like about 3C of the shrimp broth.
8. Simmered for about 2 hours on low without the lid as it was too thin and the DO was within 1/2″ of the top.
9. Added shrimp. Simmer for an additional ___ minutes.

Served over hot rice. Sprinkle with file powder on top of bowl and stir in.

Paula’s Tip: Add file powder after putting gumbo into individual serving bowls. Adding file into the pot will make the gumbo too thick as File powder acts as a thickening agent.

Initial Comments on 1/4/14: Toward the end, even before the shrimp was added, it tasted great. It was a bit spicy for the kids but great for us. Then I decided to add two talapia fish fillets thawed and cut into ~1″ squares. The brew then simmered for another hour before we ate it over short grain white rice. The taste was off, as though there was a spice missing. We tried the file we had but believe it was old as there was not the usual intense smell. But, I believe that either the talipia added an odd taste or the fact that they were not preseasoned meant the overall brew was under seasoned. Also seemed like it could have used more dark roux.