Okra Seafood Gumbo



INGREDIENTS:

6 each hard shell crabs 	

2 pound okra, sliced 	

2 tablespoon flour 	

5 tablespoon oil 	

1 tablespoon butter 	

1/2 cup green onions, chopped 	

1 cup onions, finely chopped 	

3 each garlic cloves, finely chopped 	

1 each green pepper, chopped 	

1/2 cup celery, chopped 	

2 pound shrimp (save peel) 	

8 cup water 	

1 cup ham, diced 	

1 cn tomatoes 	

2 teaspoon salt 	

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 	

5 each dashes of tabasco 	

3 each bay leaves 	

1/2 teaspoon powdered thyme 	

1/2 teaspoon basil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil crabs for 20 minutes in lightly salted water. Remove,
save water. Put 2 Tbsp. of oil and 1 of butter in a non-cast
iron skillet and fry Okra until all traces of sliminess
disappear. In a deep pot, put remaining oil, stir in flour,
make dark brown roux. Add onions, garlic, green peppers and
celery to roux, stir for 5 minutes. Add diced ham and cook
for 10 minutes on low heat. Stir in tomatoes, shrimp and
simmer.

2. In 8 cups of crab water, boil the shrimp heads, peelings
for 15 minutes. Add the Okra to the large pot, stir for a few
minutes then strain the shrimp water to the mixture. Add the
remainig seasonings and simmer slowly for 2 hours.

3. Remove the back shell, belly flap, legs and claws from the
crabs. Clean out all unwanted material from the crabs, break
crabs in half and lightly crack the claws. Add crab halves
and claws to the pot. Cook another 15 minutes adding the green
onions during the last 5. Serve over rice.



Okra Seafood Gumbo