Seafood Gumbo

1-40 oz. bag frozen okra
¼ c. cooking oil
1 c. cooking oil
1⅓ c. flour
3 large onions, chopped
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 c. stewed tomatoes

1 gallon water
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
Salt
Black pepper
3 pounds raw shrimp
2 pounds crab claws
2 pounds crab meat
2 bunches green onions, chopped

In an iron skillet, cook okra in ¼ c. cooking oil until okra is no longer slimy. Set aside.

In a separate large iron skillet, make a roux with oil and flour, stirring constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon until dark, chocolate brown. At this stage, add onions, garlic, and celery, stirring well. Cook in covered skillet until vegetables are clear. Add cooked okra and tomatoes.

Transfer to a large gumbo pot and stir in 2 cups of water at very low heat. Then add remaining water, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for at least 3 hours. Stir in salt to taste, and red pepper. Continue to cook over low heat.

While roux continues to cook, peel, devein, and thoroughly wash shrimp. Bring gumbo to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add shrimp and crab meat. Cook 15 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions.

YIELD: 15 to 20 servings

For chicken gumbo, replace seafood with 2 large fryers. Cook, cool, and debone them. Add pulled chicken to roux. (While these are large recipes, they are easily frozen and retrieved for quick, hearty dinners.)