• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded
• 1/2 lb. okra (frozen works ok)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Creole seasoning-Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends Seafood Magic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juices
• 5 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice-chicken stock is fine too
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• White rice for serving underneath the gumbo
• 1/2 lb. andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup fresh-cooked crabmeat or crawfish, picked over to remove any shell fragments
• Chicken pieces (shredded or sliced), browned (use rotisserie chicken to speed things up)
• 1 tsp. filé powder, Zatarains (this is sassafras powder)
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Dice the onion and set aside. Dice the celery and bell peppers and set aside together. Trim the stems from the okra pods, then cut the pods crosswise into slices 1/2 inch thick. In a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, warm 2 Tbsp. of the canola oil. Add the okra and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. It’s okay if some of the okra seeds stay in the pot for step 2.

2. In the same pot over medium heat, warm the remaining 6 Tbsp. oil for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until incorporated. Cook the mixture, or roux, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until dark brown, about 5 minutes. The longer the roux is cooked, the darker it becomes, but don’t let it get black. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

3. Add Creole seasoning, bay leaves, white wine (to unstick the roux in the pan), bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper, and thyme. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Start the rice separately now while the gumbo simmers for 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the sausage, shrimp, okra, chicken and/or crabmeat/crawfish and cook until the sausage is heated through and the shrimp are pink, 3 minutes more. Sprinkle in the filé powder and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves.

5. To serve, spoon rice into bowls, ladle the gumbo on top and garnish with the parsley.