Seafood Gumbo from Jimmy Fitzmorris

Ingredients

• 5 lbs okra (fresh preferred)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 onions, large, chopped
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 3 teaspoons garlic powder
• 6 bay leaves
• 3 teaspoons thyme, dried
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 8 quarts water
• 5 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup margarine
• 12 blue crabs, cleaned, cut in half (raw)
• 1 lb crab (claw meat)

Directions

1. 1

   Wash okra and dry it in paper towels.

2. 2

   Remove stem and tips of okra pod and slice into thin pieces.

3. 3

   Into a 10-quart pot, add oil and place okra into it.

4. 4

   On a medium flame, cook okra, stirring constantly until the rope (sticky part) disappears (about 1 hour).

5. 5

   Then add onions to okra and simmer until onions are soft, stirring constantly.

6. 6

   Add tomato sauce, garlic powder, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and water.

7. 7

   Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

8. 8

   Reduce the flame and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

9. 9

   Into a large skillet melt margarine.

10. 10

    Add crabs and shrimp; saute for 10 to 15 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove from the fire and add to okra mixture and simmer for another hour or hour and a half.

12. 12

    Turn off fire and add the crabmeat.

13. 13

    When serving, have gumbo piping hot and ladle into soup bowl over a scoop of cooked rice.