Seafood Gumbo from Jimmy Fitzmorris

Submitted by Busters friend

"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."

 

• Ready In: 5hrs
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 12-14

ingredients

• 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
• 1⁄2 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.