Seafood Gumbo from Jimmy Fitzmorris

Buster's friend's Note:

Former Louisiana lieutenant governor Jimmy Fitzmorris' gumbo recipe. It was the first one in his 1980 book, "Home Style Cooking." Sounds spot on perfect. From The Times-Picayune. Stashing for this fall when the shrimp are still plentiful but it is not so incredibly hot & humid.

• Total Time: 5 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 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
• ½ 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. Wash okra and dry it in paper towels.
2. Remove stem and tips of okra pod and slice into thin pieces.
3. Into a 10-quart pot, add oil and place okra into it.
4. On a medium flame, cook okra, stirring constantly until the rope (sticky part) disappears (about 1 hour).
5. Then add onions to okra and simmer until onions are soft, stirring constantly.
6. Add tomato sauce, garlic powder, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and water.
7. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
8. Reduce the flame and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
9. Into a large skillet melt margarine.
10. Add crabs and shrimp; saute for 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove from the fire and add to okra mixture and simmer for another hour or hour and a half.
12. Turn off fire and add the crabmeat.
13. When serving, have gumbo piping hot and ladle into soup bowl over a scoop of cooked rice.