Emeril's Country Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (4 ounces)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (4 ounces)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 5 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 gallons shrimp, crab or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch cayenne
• Dash hot sauce
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled
• 1 chicken breast, cut in 1/2-inch dice, lightly browned
• 3 links andouille sausage, sliced in 1/4-inch thick rounds, browned and drained on paper towels
• 1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 8 tablespoons file powder (ground sassafras)

Directions

Make a dark roux: Heat oil in a large soup pot over high heat. When oil begins to smoke, whisk in flour. Continue to whisk constantly until mixture is a rich brown color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. Roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specks appear you must start over. When roux is mahogany colored, add onions, celery and bell pepper.

Stir mixture until onions begin to brown. Add garlic. Slowly pour in stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, cayenne, salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until gumbo is reduced to half a gallon. If it reduces too fast, add more stock or water. Gumbo should cook long enough for roux flavor to mellow.

Stir in shrimp, chicken, sausage, crab, green onions, parsley, bay leaves, thyme and basil. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Sprinkle in file powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more. Remove bay leaves before serving.