Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo

Name: Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo
Total time: 220
Yield: 20
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 0.75 cup bacon drippings; 1 cup coarsely chopped celery; 1 large onion, coarsely chopped; 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced; 3 quarts water; 6 cubes beef bouillon; 1 tablespoon white sugar; salt to taste; 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste; 0.5 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's®), or to taste; 4 bay leaves; 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves; 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes; 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce; 4 teaspoons file powder, divided; 2 tablespoons bacon drippings; 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed; 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar; 1 pound lump crabmeat; 3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Recipe by Mddoccook from allrecipes.com

Dinner 4 Hr. 40 Mins.

Ingredients

20 servings

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1 cup all-purpose flour
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0.75 cup bacon drippings
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1 cup coarsely chopped celery
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1 large onion, coarsely chopped
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1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
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3 quarts water
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6 cubes beef bouillon
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1 tablespoon white sugar
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salt to taste
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2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste

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0.5 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's®), or to taste
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4 bay leaves
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0.5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
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1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
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1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
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4 teaspoons file powder, divided
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2 tablespoons bacon drippings
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2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
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2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
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1 pound lump crabmeat
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3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
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2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Gather all ingredients.
Make the roux: Whisk together flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Cook roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
Make the gumbo: Place celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until all vegetables are very finely chopped.
Stir vegetables into the roux, and mix in sausage. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine water and beef bouillon cubes in a large Dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until bouillon cubes dissolve, then whisk roux mixture into the boiling water.
Reduce heat to a simmer and mix in sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Add okra and vinegar and cook for 15 minutes; remove okra with a slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo.
Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder just before serving.
Serve hot and enjoy!