Seafood Gumbo

• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 piece medium onion, diced small
• 1 piece bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 piece small bay leaf
• 1 can 14 1/2 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound lump crabmeat
• 2 pieces green onions, chopped finely for garnish
• 2 cups cooked white rice, for serving

1. Make the roux... In a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium low heat, melt the butter then stir in the flour. Cook, stirring (nearly) constantly until the mixture turns a deep reddish-brown, mahogany color. This will take a long time. Some people say the amount of time it takes to cook a good roux is the amount of time it takes to drink 2 beers.
2. When the roux reaches the desired color, add onions, green peppers, and celery; cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, stir another minute or two. (You can also saute these veggies in a separate pan while the roux is browning. Then add to the finished roux and proceed.)
3. Add hot stock in a thin stream, stirring constantly to make sure all flour is incorporated and there are no lumps. Add remaining ingredients except for seafood. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour, periodically skimming any fat or foam from the surface.
4. Add seafood and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. Serve over a scoop of white rice, topped with a sprinkle of green onions.
5. FOR CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO ---------------------
6. Delete seafood and instead add 12 oz smoked sausage and 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs. (Or meat from a rotisserie chicken)
7. Slice sausage links in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices. Brown in a pan and pour off the fat. Season the chicken thighs with creole seasoning and saute in a pan. Cool and shred into bite size pieces. Add sausage and chicken about halfway into the 1 hour simmer/skim process.

butter, flour, onion, bell pepper, stalks celery, chicken stock, chacheres creole seasoning, chili powder, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, tomatoes, shrimp, lump crabmeat, green onions, white rice

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/seafood-gumbo-56c1067db00120c3200c7534 (may not work)