8 Tablespoons oil, divided

1 pound okra, thinly sliced*

4 Tablespoons flour

2 cups onions, finely chopped

½ cup celery, chopped

2/3 cup green pepper, chopped

1 cup green onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

3 large bay leaves

¼ teaspoon thyme, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, cut up

    (reserve liquid)

5 cups water

2 ½  pounds raw shrimp, washed, peeled,

        and deveined

1 pound claw crabmeat*

2 dozen oysters with liquid*

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

4-5 cups steamed white rice

In a large skillet, heat 4 Tablespoons oil.  Add okra and cook until tender, stirring often, about 40-50 minutes.  If necessary, add more oil to prevent burning.

In a 5-quart soup pot heat remaining 4 Tablespoons oil and gradually add flour, stirring constantly until the roux is caramel brown.  Add onions and celery, and sauté until tender.  Add green pepper, green onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste and seasonings; add tomatoes with liquid and blend until smooth.  Add cooked okra, and gradually stir in water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add shrimp and crabmeat, and continue to simmer covered for 10 minutes.  Add oysters with liquid and parsley and cook an additional 10 minutes.  If gumbo is too thick, thin with hot water.  Serve in soup bowls over hot white rice.

                                                                                      10 Servings

*If fresh okra is not available, you can use frozen, sliced.  Also, I use imitation crabmeat which works very well.  I don’t add oysters, but if I was making for just myself and hubby I would!