Seafood Gumbo

posted by Louisiana 05-18-98 11:10 AM 

Seafood Gumbo 
2 T.shortening 1 bay leaf 
1 lb. fresh, canned or frozen okra 1 sprig thyme 
1 onion chopped 2 qts.water 
1 bunch green onions, chopped 
1/2C. celery, chopped 
1-1# can tomatoes 
2 sprigs parsley chopped 
1 lb. headless raw shrimp , peeled 
1/2 lb.crabmeat or l dozen crabs 
salt and pepper to taste 

Fry okra in shortening until it ceases to "rope" (about 30 to 40 minutes). Add onions and celery; cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, thyme and water. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the shrimp and crabmeat or crabs, and simmer 30
minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon file' just before serving if desired. NEVER cook file'. Gumbo is better if cooked
early in the morning and allowed to stand for several hours. Seve with cooked rice. (If crabs are used; scald live hard shell crabs and
clean, removing the "dead man's fingers', the spongy substance, and the sand bag on the under part. Break off claws and crack, and
cut the body in half. Frozen crabs can of course be used. (from Let's Pig Out, a cookbook which was published by friends of a youn
woman who was ukk from East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana . 

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