Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#10)

A pint of steaming gumbo (dinner!).

Here's a simple and flavorful recipe:

Shrimp, Sausage and, Okra Gumbo
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces smoked sausage, split lengthwise and sliced
12 okra pods, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup rice

Make a roux by heating the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and stirring in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stir the roux continuously for 5-10 minutes, or until the roux is brown and smells of toasted nuts. Add the diced onion, green pepper and celery, stir it into the roux and cook it for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage and okra, stir it into the roux and cook it for an additional 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and chicken stock. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stir it to remove any lumps. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the soup for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook the soup an additional 10 minutes. While the gumbo is simmering, boil the rice in plenty of salted water. Serve the gumbo in a bowl with a small mound of the boiled rice, or stir the rice directly into the gumbo.

The recipe makes about 3 quarts