Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 onions, chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
16-ounce package frozen cut okra
2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound crabmeat
1 pint oysters, optional
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 cups hot cooked rice

Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat; add flour. Stir until mixture browns, about 10 minutes. Add onions, celery, and garlic to pot; cook for 5 minutes. Add undrained tomatoes, water, and hot pepper sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add okra to pot; simmer about 20 minutes. Add shrimp, crabmeat, and oysters to pot. Cook until shrimp are pink and oysters are firm, about 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce; stir well. Serve gumbo over hot rice in bowls. VARIATION: For an authentic Louisiana touch, use bacon drippings in place of the butter in step 1.