Louisiana Seafood & Okra Gumbo

This is the second week running that we've had the same meal as Jamie Oliver has featured on his show, and I haven't been planning it. Last week it was the Dan Dan Mien and this week I'd been trying to get around to making this dish but things kept getting in the way. Until Jamie came on, and then whizz! bang! I was making gumbo. I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by this dish, mainly the okra as I had never cooked with okra and had only eaten it once before. But I didn't let this deter me and I plodded on. Despite the extreme amount of chopping that was required I got through it, helped by a cheering Wil on the sidelines who had helped select all the seafood we threw in the mix. We didn't use the same crab and shrimp as suggested here, but grabbed what looked fresh and tasty at the market, which I think is the best way to go. We ended up with a little blue crab, some nice fresh prawns, a handful or two of shrimp and then some imitation crab (sorry, had to) to even out things budget-wise. 

Now this isn't quite the slow-cooking traditional method, and we've decided that next time we make this dish we're gonna throw it on nice and early and leave it to simmer low and slow, but don't think this wasn't tasty.  We were both well impressed with the flavour and then even more with the snow that began falling outside our window as we dug in.  Now I just can't wait to see what Jamie's cooking this week!

This comes from Taste magazine, find it at your local BC Liquor.

3 tbsp canola oil

1 larg onion, finely sliced

3 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

4 sprigs Italian parsely, chopped

2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup canned tomatoes, halved

2 cups chicken or fish stock

2 lbs fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb andouille or chorizo sausage, cooked and diced

1lb okra, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 lb crab meat

Heat oil over medium heat, add onion, celery, garlic, green pepper and parsley. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften. Add seasoning, tomato sauce, tomatoes, stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and add remaining ingredients. Stir gently to mix, cover and simmer until shrimp and okra are tender. 

Add crabmeat to warm through.  Serve over rice with tabasco sauce (and Wil likes it with garlic bread).