Seafood File Gumbo

Photo: flickr user foooooey

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon thyme

5 cups Spicy Shrimp Stock (recipe follows)

1 (14 ½ oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained

1 bay leaf

Dash Worcestershire sauce

2 - 3 dashes Louisiana hot sauce

Salt, to taste

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat

2 lbs. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve shells)

1 cup shucked raw oysters, with liquid

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons file powder

Steamed rice, for serving

Preparation

Melt butter in a large heavy gauge soup kettle. Gradually stir in the flour to form a thick paste. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until paste is golden brown. Add the chopped onion, garlic, peppers and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are slightly softened. Slowly add the shrimp stock (recipe follows) to the mixture, one cup at a time, stirring smooth after each addition. Coarsely chop the drained tomatoes and add to the mixture along with the bay leaf, the Worcestershire sauce, and the Louisiana hot sauce. Sample and adjust the seasonings, adding salt as d