Prep: 20 min, Cook: 2 hrs
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 celery ribs chopped
• 2 green bell peppers chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 9 cups seafood or shrimp stock
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning preferably homemade
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 2 pounds peeled & deveined shrimp
• 1 pound gumbo crabs*
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

Additional ingredients:  Salt to taste, Cayenne pepper or additional hot sauce, filé powder (sprinkle on individual bowls if desired), Rice for serving

Directions:

1. Make Roux. Heat oil over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously until the roux turns the color of melted chocolate. This could take up to an hour. Don’t turn the heat up too high to make the roux cook faster because it could burn.
2. Once the roux turns dark brown, stir in the celery, green pepper and onion and cook for about five minutes over medium heat. Stir the vegetables often. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Slowly stir in the seafood stock. Add in the Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, gumbo crabs and hot sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for about an hour and stir occasionally.
4. Discard the bay leaves. Add the shrimp and parsley. Simmer uncovered until the shrimp turn pink, a few minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more Cajun seasoning or salt if needed. Serve over rice and with additional hot sauce if desired.

* Gumbo crabs are smaller whole or halved blue crabs usually found in the frozen department of your store. If you can’t find gumbo crabs or whole crabs, use 8-12 ounces of crabmeat but add in toward the end with the shrimp. You can also use 8 oz. crabmeat in addition to gumbo crabs.