Okra Shrimp Gumbo

My first shot at Creole cooking......The legendary cuisine of New Orleans.

Inspired by my dear friend Jim...a fantastic office-mate and an adventurous cook!

Recipe Source: From the book "Creole!" by Deirde Stanforth

Dish Category: Side Dish, Entree

Serves: 8 - 10

What I like about the recipe: Easy, lots of veggies, hearty and traditional

Possible Modifications: Will work great with any sea food like crabs, crawfish, oyster...so go crazy! :)

Ingredients:

1. 2 lbs Okra
2. 4 tbs any fat - bacon fat, I used butter
3. 2 tbsp all purpose flour
4. 1 onion, finely chopped
5. 2 green onions, finely chopped
6. 1 pod garlic, minced
7. 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
8. 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
9. 2 lbs raw shrimp - peeled and deveined
10. 1 tsp salt or to taste
11. 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
12. 5 dashes Tabasco or choice of hot sauce
13. 1 green bay leaf
14. 1/4 tsp thyme

Steps:

1. Wash Okra and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2. Put 2 lbs fat in a skillet and fry Okra, stirring often to prevent burning, until it is browned and dried, with all sliminess gone
3. In a deep cooking pot melt the remaining fat and blend in flour to make a roux, cooking and stirring until deep brown. Do this over very low heat because flour can burn
4. Add the chopped onion, garlic, green pepper and stir to cook
5. Add tomatoes and stir till cooked
6. Add the cooked Okra and mix
7. Add enough water to have atleast 2 inch standing water above the vegetable mix
8. Add the raw shrimp
9. Add all the seasoning and bring to a boil
10. Let simmer cook for ~ 30 mins till the shrimp is completely cooked

Serving Suggestions: Gumbo is always served in a soup bowl over a teacup-molded mound of hot rice.

Refrigerates and reheats very well