Ingredients
- 455 gr. 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
- 455 gr. small raw peeled and deveined shrimp
- 2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 2 scallions, sliced
- gumbo file (optional garnish)
Method
- 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.
- Place vegetable mixture in a heavy bottomed pot large enough to hold 2-1/2 quarts.
- 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.
- When roux is mixed into the vegetable, stir in the broth.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour.
- Stir shrimp, hot sauce, parsley and scallions into gumbo and cook just until they brighten and begin to curl, do not overcook.
- Serve gumbo with steamed white rice, garnished with extra parsley or scallion and gumbo file if desired.