Seafood Gumbo

Serves 8-10
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 green pepper, chopped
1 lg. mild sweet banana pepper, chopped
4 or 5 celery stalks chopped
1/2 c. canola or olive oil
2 T. flour
1 small jar clam juice
1 qt. Swanson low sodium
MSG free chicken broth
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen butterbeans
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen okra
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
with green chiles
1 1/2 c. peeled and de-vined shrimp

1 1/2 c. mild fish chopped into 2 or
3 inch pieces
1 1/2 c. lump crab meat carefully
checked for shell pieces
1 (6.5 oz.) can clam pieces with juice
1 T. Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. cumin
dash of hot sauce

Heat oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, green and banana peppers, celery and sauté until tender. Sprinkle flour over this and stir briefly. Add clam juice, water and chicken broth stirring with wire whip. Add all spices one at a time. Add butterbeans, okra, tomatoes, and fish. Bring to boil, then continue cooking on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, then add crab meat and canned clam pieces and continue for 5 minutes, making sure mixture is bubby throughout the preparation. Turn up heat if necessary. Add more water if mixture appears too thick. Remove from heat, refrigerate immediately. Leave overnight and return to bubbly temperature before serving. Can be frozen. Not recommended for canning. Make sure you always bring it to bubbly temperature before serving.

HINT: Separate 1/2 of mixture before adding seafood and add 1/2 link of Andouille sausage and 1 whole chicken breast cup up. Cook for 15 minutes for the non-seafood lovers in your family.

Regina Felton - Mt. Jackson, VA