Carol V's Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 large bay leaf
• 4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled & devained
• 1 lb fresh crabmeat
• 2 dozen oysters, shucked
• 1 lb crab claws (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• hot cooked rice
• chopped fresh parsley
• chopped green onion
• gumbo file

Directions

1. 1

   Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add flour, and cook over medium heat 10 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until roux is the color of a copper penny. Stir in onions, and celery: cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add next 6 ingredients and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. 2

   Add shrimp and 1 pound crabmeat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add oysters and crab claws, if desired; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in salt and papper. Remove bay leaf. Serve over hot rice.