Felix'S Seafood Gumbo - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
3 -4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen chopped okra
1 quart chicken broth
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, with liquid
4 -5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 -3 tablespoons crab boil, tied in cheesecloth*
salt and black pepper
2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb lump crabmeat, picked over
1 lb bay scallop
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1 tablespoon file powder

Preparation

Defrost any seafood (fresh is always better, but it happens) and the okra.
Melt butter in a shallow pan, add flour and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until very dark but not scorched (about 25 minutes); set aside.
In large Dutch oven, saute onion, celery and okra in oil until limp.
Add roux, broth, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, crab boil packet, and salt and pepper to taste; simmer two hours, stirring occasionally.
Add andouille sausage and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add seafood and simmer 15 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. DO NOT BOIL. Stir in file powder for the last 5 minutes of simmering.
Serve over bowls of rice.
*To make your own crab boil: Tie the following spices in a muslin bag or in cheesecloth: 3 bay leaves, a small piece of dried ginger, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon dill seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, and 1 teaspoon allspice berries.