Seafood Okra Gumbo

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds small okra, caps and tips remove, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Salt
Cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 bay leaves
1/2 pound firm flesh fish, such as grouper, snapper, monkfish, etc., diced
Essence
2 quarts fish stock
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
1/2 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
File powder to taste
1/2 cup chopped green onions, green part only
Dash of hot sauce
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice, warm

Instructions

In a large stock pot, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the okra. Season the okra with salt and cayenne. Fry the okra, stirring constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until most of the slime disappears. Add the onions, celery, peppers and tomatoes. Season with salt and cayenne. Continue cooking, stirring often for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the okra and other vegetables are soft and the slime has completely disappeared. Stir in the garlic and bay leaves. Season the diced fish with Essence. Add the fish to vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Add the fish stock. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season the shrimp and crawfish with Essence. Add the seasoned seafood and crabmeat to the pan. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the green onions and hot sauce. Remove the bay leaves and serve over the gumbo.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings