(like Mama used to make)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter, give or take
• 9 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups hot water (tap is fine)
• 4 chicken buillion cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped green onion
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 can stewed tomatoes (16 oz)
• 2 tbsp. hot sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 can crab claw meat (6-8 oz depending on taste)
• 8-10 oz. andouille (or similar spicy) sausage
• 2 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1-2 lbs. frozen shrimp (cleaned)
• 1 package frozen sliced okra (8 oz)
• 2 cups finely cut parsley
• Dash of filé powder
• 2 cups uncooked rice

Cooking directions:

In a heavy Dutch oven or thick bottomed pot, sauté vegetables except for okra and parsley with 1/2 stick butter. While cooking the vegetables, brown flour in heavy skillet with 1 stick of butter to create roux (plan to stir for at least 30-45 minutes). Be careful not to burn the roux, or you will be starting over. Add hot water and bouillon cubes to make a thick gravy. Mix tomatoes and tomato sauce into gravy. Add gravy to vegetable mix in Dutch oven. Add all other seasonings, crabmeat and crab juice. Cook covered over medium low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring often. Add shrimp, okra and 1 1/2 cup parsley. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until shrimp are just the right shade of pink. Turn stove off and allow gumbo to sit covered on stove for at least 1 hour (the waiting really is the hardest part!).

When ready to serve, cook rice per instructions on package. Reheat gumbo to serving temperature. Remove and discard bay leaves. Ladle gumbo over cooked rice in 8 individual bowls. Garnish with remaining parsley and sprinkle with filé powder.