By Sue Lau, A Palatable Pastime
1 pound fresh okra pods, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced green pepper
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Cajun spice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt (to taste; add the Cajun spice before you taste)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup light roux
6 cups vegetable broth
1 pound small raw peeled and deveined shrimp
2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 scallions, sliced
gumbo file (optional garnish)
1. Saute okra in a large skillet until browned; stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, bay leaves, garlic and thyme and cook until vegetables soften, adding the garlic the last minute so that it does not burn.
2. Place vegetable mixture in a heavy bottomed pot large enough to hold 2-1/2 quarts.
3. Whisk the roux into the vegetables. We are using light roux here, and you may use homemade or use a purchased type, whichever you prefer. Generally, roux is half flour, half oil, cooked and stirred over low heat until it is the color of peanut butter.
4. When roux is mixed into the vegetable, stir in the broth.
5. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour.
6. Stir shrimp, hot sauce, parsley and scallions into gumbo and cook just until they brighten and begin to curl; do not overcook.
7. Serve gumbo with steamed white rice, garnished with extra parsley or scallion and gumbo file if desired.
Read the full post on Stir It Up!
