The secret to a great Creole stew is a slowly cooked, chocolate colored roux (and, of course, the right balance of seasonings). Here is a recipe I used just last night, with great results.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 links hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped mixed colored peppers (red, green, orange, yellow)
1 cup celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup water
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup rice
1 lb. cod filet cut into 2″ chunks
1/2 # sea scallops
1/2 # medium shrimp – peeled and deveined
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. When hot, add sausage in small pieces, let brown on all sides and remove from oil. Slowly stir flour into remaining oil, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, until it turns the color of milk chocolate. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Stir and cook for about 7 minutes. The vegetable will begin to soften. Add garlic, paprika, thyme, bay leaf and cayenne. Stir and cook together until well incorporated. Add tomatoes, water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and stir in rice.
Cover pot tightly and put in oven for 30 minutes. (Note: adjust cooking time by 15 additional minutes if using brown rice.)
Lightly salt and pepper seafood. Add to the pot with sausage and stir, covering additions with the cooking liquid. Recover and return pot to oven for 10 additional minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
Enjoy!