First You Make a Roux

Today, I am participating in Foodie Friday, hosted by a very talented and gracious lady we all know as "Gollum." This is my first time to participate, and I'm looking forward to not only adding some new recipes to my collection, but meeting and getting to know some new blogging friends as well.

I'd like to share a recipe for Shrimp Gumbo, which originated in one of my favorite (and most used) cookbooks, Cotton Country Cookbook.

Last weekend, my husband and my parents and I decided to try the gumbo recipe, and we were very pleased with it. It is a rather mildly-seasoned gumbo, so if you like yours hot and spicy, you may want to add Tabasco or hot sauce to taste.

Shrimp Gumbo Ingredients: 4-5 pounds Shrimp, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces 2 Cups Okra, sliced thin 1 large White Onion, chopped fine 3 Cups minced Green Onions (save some to sprinkle on top to serve) 1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, cut finely 2 or 3 Garlic Pods, mashed 1 Cup Cooking Oil 1/2 Cup Flour 2 Cans Chicken Broth 8 Cups Boiling Water 2 Tablespoons Salt 1 Teaspoon Pepper 1/3 Cup Ketchup 1 Tablespoon Lea & Perrins 1 Teaspoon McCormick Seafood Seasoning Tabasco (to taste, or optional) Peel and cut your shrimp and chop vegetables (you can do this a day ahead of time and refrigerate, if you'd like). Start with two heavy iron skillets. In one, start the roux by combining 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour over LOW heat. Be sure and KEEP THE HEAT LOW, and stir constantly. It usually takes an hour and 15 minutes to make the roux. Stir it until it becomes dark brown and flour sort of separates from the grease. At the same time, in the other skillet, put in the other 1/2 cup of oil and saute' the okra and white onions until they are wilted. Add the remaining vegetables with salt and pepper and stir them until they are wilted and soft. When the roux is brown, add it to the vegetables and mix well (my picture makes mine look red, but the roux was brown). Transfer all to a large soup pot. Add the chicken broth, boiling water, half of the peeled shrimp, and all of the seasonings. Let this simmer for about one hour. Cook the remaining shrimp in a saucepan with 1/2 cup boiling water and one tablespoon salt, until they are pink. Add shrimp and water to the gumbo, stir and remove from heat. Serve over rice sprinkled with minced green onions.