Ingredients:
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 8 cups roughly chopped okra
- 2 pounds tasso, roughly chopped
- 4 cups of small diced Spanish onion
- ½ cup minced garlic
- 4 large tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 2 cups small-diced red bell peppers
- 2 cups small-diced green bell peppers
- 2 cups small-diced celery
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 20 cups Shrimp stock (recipe precedes)
- 3 dried bay leaves
- Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and hot sauce, to taste
- 4 pounds peeled and deveined large, fresh shrimp
- 1 cup sliced green onions
- Hot cooked rice, to serve
- Garnish: thinly sliced fresh okra
Instructions:
- In a 16-quart stockpot over medium high heat, add oil. When hot, add chopped okra and tasso; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until okra begins to break down, about five minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until tasso is browned and okra has fallen apart, 15 to 25 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium high; add Spanish onion and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until onion is browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add tomato, bell peppers, celery, and jalapeno, and cook, scraping bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until softened, about 15 minutes.
- Increase heat to high, and add Shrimp Stock, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 1 ½ hours.
- Taste gumbo, and adjust seasonings if desired. Add shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat, and add green onion. Divide among serving bowls. Serve with rice, and garnish with sliced okra if desired.
