Gumbo is another name for okra pods, whose sticky-juice thickens this Caribbean fish stew.
ingredients
serves 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small green pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
2 level tablespoons plain four
1 1/4 pints fish stock
14 ounce tinned chopped tomatoes
3 ounce cooked ham, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
8 ounce fresh okra, trimmed and sliced
6 ounce long-grain rice
8 ounce raw freshwater shrimps, peeled and de-veined
8 ounce fresh white crabmeat, chopped
12 fresh oysters, shelled
method
1. Heat the oil in a heavy, flameproof casserole and cook the onions in it over a moderate heat for 5 minutes. Mix in the garlic, pepper and celery and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, ham, bay leaf and Tabasco. Bring to the boil, partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the okra and cook, covered, for another 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the rice.
4. Stir the shrimps and crabmeat into the gumbo and cook for about 2 minutes until the shrimps are pink. Add the oysters and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Ladle the gumbo into bowls, and give each one a serving of the rice. You can use frozen okra if fresh okra is not available.
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