Okra Gumbo Recipe

  Cajun Stew

Ingredients:
6-8 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1# frozen cut okra (or use fresh if available in your area)
2 28-oz cans whole or sliced tomatoes
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
file powder (optional)

Seafood: 1# shrimp, cleaned and deveined, 1# firm fillets (such as sole, cod, roughy), 1/2# crabmeat... or whatever is available
OR... use a couple pounds of boneless chicken

Directions:
Cook the bacon in a large pot. Remove, crumble, and set aside. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot, and saute onion, garlic, pepper and okra. The okra will get nice and gooey, serving as thickening agent for the gumbo. Add tomatoes, seasoning and the cooked bacon. Simmer, covered, for at least a half hour, but can cook a couple hours.

Add seafood or chicken and cook until done. Add file powder if you want a thicker stew. Serve over rice.

Omit one can of tomatoes and the seafood/chicken for a vegetable side dish that's good (hot or cold) with grilled steaks.

Okra Gumbo
 

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