Joan Fontaine's Creole Fish Gumbo

By William Norwich

Published January 29, 2000

Total Time
2 hours
Rating
3(19)
Comments
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Ingredients

Yield:10 servings

FOR THE STOCK

  • 2 1 ¼-pound lobsters

  • 1 pound shrimp, in shells

  • 1 large carrot, chopped

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns

  • Parsley sprigs

  • 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, drained

FOR THE GUMBO, PART 1

  • 2 slices bacon

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

  • 2 red onions, peeled and chopped

  • 1 green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

FOR THE GUMBO, PART 2

  • 1 pound halibut, cut in 1-inch chunks

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • ½ cup tomato paste

  • ½ cup white wine

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • Pinch of saffron

  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons Tabasco

  • 1 tablespoon gumbo file

  • ½ teaspoon cayenne

  • Juice of 2 lemons

  • 2 cups okra (frozen is O.K.)

  • 1 pint clams (canned is O.K.)

  • ½ pound crabmeat, picked over and cartilage removed

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the lobsters in 2 quarts of cold salted water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. (The whole procedure should take 15 minutes.) Add the shrimp and cook for 4 minutes more. Take pot off burner. Remove the shrimp shells and lobster shells and heads and put them back into the pot with the water they were boiled in. Save the shellfish for later.

  2. Step 2

    Add the rest of the stock ingredients to the pot with the shells. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a large bowl; then put stock back into the pot. Discard the shells and vegetables.

  3. Step 3

    To make the gumbo, fry the bacon. When done, crumble and leave it in the skillet with the fat. Add the remaining ingredients listed in gumbo Part 1 and saute until brown, about 7 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add the halibut and olive oil to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until the fish is done. Add this mixture to the pot with the stock. Add the remaining ingredients from gumbo Part 2. Cover and simmer over low heat until well blended, about 1 hour. Can be served with rice.

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Ratings

3 out of 5
19 user ratings
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Comments

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Matthew C.

Seeing that the Super Bowl in 2025 is in New Orleans, I decided to make this for the game. I got gulf shrimp to try to keep it authentic. I cooked the night before, as I think gumbos, soups, stews taste better the next day. My modifications were no lobster, no crab, no saffron. Double the shrimp. I used cod instead of halibut, and chopped clams. I substituted pancetta for bacon. I used a German Riesling wine; added some thyme sprigs to the stock. Served over basmati rice. Very enjoyable. 4/5

chrisann

I don’t see anywhere in the recipe that you add the shrimp and lobster meat back into the gumbo. Does save for later mean for another recipe?

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