New Orleans' Jumbo

US, savoury, cooked

4 - 6 servings

• 1 doz. crabs - scalded
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 pound okra
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cups raw shrimp - deveined - peeled
• 2 doz. oysters
• 2 cups canned tomatoes - drained
• 5 bay leaves
• salt, pepper
• dash cayenne or pepper sauce
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 cup tomato liquid

Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, saute onion and celery until light brown. Add okra and cook about 30 minutes until it ceases to rope - stirring often. Stir in tomatoes and gradually add hot water and tomato liquid. Add bay leaves, crab, shrimp, oysters, parsley, salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring often. The file powder is stirred into gumbo just before serving.

Clean crabs, remove hard shells and legs. Crack claws and cut body in half.