Crab gumbo is somewhat of a novelty in chowder-crazed New England. That is exactly why I make it. I like giving people a sample of food from other places. A specialty in Louisiana, gumbo combines influences from the French, Spanish, and Africans who settled the area. Recipes vary, but usually contain okra and a combination of meats and seafood. Crabmeat, okra, rice, and filé powder (made from ground sassafras leaves) give the soup its body. Every bite contains a jazzy mix of vegetables, seafood, and spices.

Ingredients:

Roux
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
Gumbo
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, broken into pieces with kitchen scissors or the back of a spoon
8 cups lobster or fish stock
2 cups tomato juice
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 bay leaves
Roux (from recipe)
1 cup white wine
1 pound crabmeat, broken into pieces
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cups fresh okra, sliced into 3/4-inch long pieces
1 tablespoon filé powder (available at specialty spice shops)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1^1/2 cups cooked white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Description:

For the roux: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an ovenproof sauté pan melt the butter. Add the flour and stir, moving it around until it no longer sticks to the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Watch carefully so it does not burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the soup: Heat a stockpot over mediumhigh heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato juice, coriander, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Using a hand blender or a regular blender, blend the roux with the white wine until liquefied and there are no lumps. Add the roux-wine mixture, crabmeat, corn, okra, filé powder, cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to the soup pot. Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Add the cooked rice and season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Makes 12 servings. The velvety texture in the base of this gumbo depends on roux, a paste of butter and flour that has been cooked together. At the New England Soup Factory, we start the roux on the stovetop and then transfer it to the oven, where it bakes until it becomes a pale, golden color. At that point, it has developed a lovely, very rich, toasted flavor. The roux simultaneously thickens and flavors the lobster or fish stock.