Imagine the setting. It’s winter. It’s cold. You have had to be outside for church, for work, doing yard maintenance, have-to-have shopping, or doing good deeds. You and your family are hungry. This recipe can be prepared in about an hour, and it is worth the time.
Although the ingredients list is long, most of them are seasonings. The main things are the shrimp, okra, bacon, and the ham you still have in your freezer from Christmas.
This is a good dish to make ahead of the time needed and freeze. Thaw, add the shrimp, cook the rice, and enjoy for a winter’s … Sunday Dinner.
Gumbo Creole
2 pounds okra, fresh or frozen
3 slices lean bacon, cubed
½ pound cubed ham or small hambone without fat
2 large or 3 small onions, finely minced
3 minced garlic cloves
½ large green pepper, minced
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced celery
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 bay leaves
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes
1½ tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 dashes hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 or 4 whole allspice
2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp or 1 pound shrimp/1 pound crabmeat
In a large heavy pot, fry the bacon until crisp and remove from pan. Break bacon into pieces. In bacon drippings, saut? the onions until limp and golden, gradually adding the garlic and green pepper.
Stir in the flour, then add the thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce.
Add the okra, cooked bacon, ham, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, allspice and tomatoes.
While the mixture cooks, cut the tomatoes into pieces with a spoon and continue cooking until the okra loses its gumminess. If the mixture gets too thick, add one or two cups of water.*
Add the shrimp or the shrimp/crabmeat mix. Cover and cook 30-40 minutes until mixture thickens. Serve over rice. Serves 4-6.
*Mixture may be frozen at this point. When ready to use, thaw and add the shrimp, which have been cooked with butter in a skillet until pink.