LYNN’S GUMBO

2 T oil or bacon grease
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 chopped onion
2 stalks celery
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 chopped green pepper
1 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes and liquid
1 bunch chopped parsley leaves
3 grated carrots
1 bay leaf
1 qt. chicken broth
1 boneless/skinless chopped chicken breast
1 bunch chopped green onions
2 cups sliced okra
salt & pepper and hot sauce
1 lb.  shelled & deveined shrimp
Tiny cooked sausage balls
Hot cooked rice

For the roux, heat 2 Tablespoons oil in heavy skillet.  Add 2 Tablespoons flour and cook over med heat stirring constantly until the color of peanut butter.

Heat oil and butter in lg. heavy pot.  Add onion and celery and cook until soft. Add garlic, green pepper, tomatoes, parsley, carrots, bay leaf, chicken broth, chicken breast, green onions, most of the okra and the roux.  Simmer for about 30 min.  Add salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste.  Add shrimp and cook another 3 min.  Serve over rice.  (With respect the traditional Andouille sausage in gumbo, I made a few tiny sausage balls out of pork sausage, cooked them and added as a garnish.)  Add the reserved okra on top for color and crunch.

Any combination of seafood is wonderful. Some folks think it isn’t gumbo without Andouille sausage, but I don’t like it. If you do, add it with the chicken.  I included the carrots because I had them in the fridge and they upped the nutritional value a bit. (I have to hide carrots to get Cary to eat them!). You can add a little of any vegetables that you have on hand, such as cauliflower, cabbage or spinach.