South Texas Seafood Gumbo Recipe

• 7 tbsp. bacon drippings
• 7 tbsp. flour
• 1 lg. onion, minced
• 1 stalk celery, finely minced
• 1/2 bell pepper, seeded & minced
• 1 (16 ounce.) can tomatoes & juice
• 1 1/2 quart. water
• 2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 (10 ounce.) pkg. frzn, sliced okra, or possibly 1 1/2 pound fresh okra, sliced into rings
• 2 teaspoon thyme or possibly 2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled & devined (more to taste)
• 2 cans crab (least expensive kind)
• 1 pound fresh crabs, shell on, or possibly crab claws in shell, when available
• 1 (8 ounce.) jar oysters w/liquid
• 1/2 c. cooked rice per person
• Cayenne pepper, salt, freshly grnd black pepper & Tabasco or possibly other warm sauce & garlic to taste

1. Place flour and bacon drippings in a deep 6-8 qt pot and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, over medium heat till the roux is a rich, dark brown, but not burned.
2. This step is very important to the ultimate flavor.
3. Saute/fry onions, bell pepper and celery in 1 tsp.
4. oil in a separate skillet.
5. Add in to roux.
6. Slowly add in tomatoes and juice, stirring mix constantly; break tomatoes into pcs.
7. Add in water all at once.
8. Add in bouillon cubes, garlic, warm seasonings, bay leaves, thyme and okra; simmer uncovered 30-45 min.
9. Meanwhile start to cook rice separately.
10. Add in shrimp and crab to tomato mix; simmer uncovered for 20-30 min.
11. Add in oysters with liquid and simmer just till cooked and plump, 3-5 min.
12. Serve with rice.
13. Pass additional warm sauce.

bacon drippings, flour, onion, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, water, chicken, bay leaves, okra, thyme, shrimp, crab, fresh crabs, oysters, rice, cayenne pepper

Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/south-texas-seafood-gumbo-52306 (may not work)