Seafood File’ Gumbo — The Real Thing!!!

By Matthew Guedry, January 11, 2020

When I was just a kid, my mother taught  me that there were 2 different types of gumbo.  There was an okra gumbo and a roux based gumbo.  She, like many cajun home cooks, never used roux in an okra gumbo, or put okra in a roux based gumbo.  What she didn’t know was that there were actually 3 distinct types of gumbo.  Each one using a different thickening agent.  The third of which is the gumbo of song — file’ gumbo.

Louisiana being the melting pot of cultures that it is — the French used roux,  the Africans the okra, and the native American Choctaw used ground sassafras leaves, known as file’.

Over Christmas holiday, I decided to prepare a Seafood Gumbo for a dozen family members.  Trying to prepare the correct quantity, with leftovers for everyone, I referenced an older cookbook, published by William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York,  “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen”, copyright 1984. The Seafood File’ Gumbo in the cookbook was unique to me  in that there was no mention of a roux in the recipe. I immediately went on to the internet to reference file’ gumbo and found that most chefs, including those of fame and notoriety,  including John Besh, cautioned that you should never use file’ solely as a thickening agent because it yields an unappetizing stringy result. In fact, most people in Louisiana today add file’ to a bowl of roux based gumbo as a condiment seasoning.

Because it was a holiday meal, I shied away from attempting my first purest file’ gumbo and instead prepared the familiar and well known roux based gumbo– which was,  if I do say so myself,  delicious and enjoyed by everyone. ( It isn’t bragging if it’s fact!) However, my curiosity in Prudhomme’s recipe for the real thing, a Seafood File’ Gumbo, sans roux, stayed with me.

So, 3 weeks after Christmas and living in Miami Beach, I decided to make it and the results were incredible!   It became clear to me, that the late Paul Prudhomme was one of the last purest of real Cajun cooking and that his first cookbook contained the secret to good, authentic file’ gumbo.  This recipe is not for the faint at heart.  Adjust the cayenne and Tabasco if necessary.

 

With thanks and in memory to the one and only, Paul Prudhomme.

Seafood File’ Gumbo

Makes 4 main-dish or 8 appetizer servings

You can substitute pieces of fish for any or all of the seafood in this recipe. Be sure to use margarine instead of butter, because margarine is oilier and seems to conduct more heat. the extra heat, plus the additional oil develops the gumbo file’ to a more desirable taste texture and color. Upon reaching a temperature above 140 degrees, however the oil separates out and rise to the surface, some people prefer to skim the oil off before serving.

If the gumbo is made in advance, do not add the seafood.  When ready to serve, bring the gumbo to a rapid boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and add the seafood. Immediately cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the pot stand covered 6 to 10 minutes.

1 pound medium shrimp with heads and shells (see Note)

5 cups Basic Seafood Stock

Seasoning mix:

     1 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)

     1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

     1 teaspoon salt

     1/2 teaspoon white pepper

     1/2 teaspoon black pepper

     1/2  teaspoon dried thyme leaves

     1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

     1 bay leaf, crumbled

3/4 cup margarine (not butter)

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped green bell peppers

3 tablespoons gumbo file’ (file’ powder)

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/4 cups canned tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups, packed, crabmeat (picked over), about 1/2 pound

1 dozen shucked oysters (about 1/2 pound), optional

1 1/3 cups hot Basic Cooked Rice

Note: if shrimp with heads and shells are not available, use 1/2 pound shrimp without heads but with shells and substitute other seafood heads in making the seafood stock.

Peel the shrimp, rinse and drain well, and use the heads and shells to make the seafood stock; refrigerate shrimp until ready to use.

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In a 4 quart heavy soup pot melt the margarine over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery and bell peppers.  Turn heat to high and stir in the gumbo file’, Tabasco, garlic and seasoning mix.  Cook 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the tomato sauce; continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring constantly. (During this time the mixture will begin sticking to the pan bottom. As it does so, continually scrape pan bottom well with a spoon.  The scrapings not only add to the gumbo flavor, but also decrease the gumbo file’s ability to thicken.) Add the stock and bring gumbo to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the shrimp, crabmeat and oysters ( if desired); cover and turn off the heat.  Leave the pot covered just until the seafood is poached, about 6 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

For a main course, place about 1/2 cup of rice in each bowl and top with about 1 cup gumbo.  for an appetizer, serve about half the amount.

C’est si bon!

 

One Response to “Seafood File’ Gumbo — The Real Thing!!!”

1. narciso January 15, 2020

   : )

   Reply