OKRA AND SAUSAGE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over high heat, add onions, celery and bell peppers, and saute 1 minute. Season with salt and 4 turns of pepper and saute 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots, and saute, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes more.
• Stir in stock, then add fish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, bay leaves, basil, oregano and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
• Stir in shrimp, okra and Creole seasoning, and simmer 10 minutes. Fold in oysters and crabmeat and simmer 5 minutes more. Skim the impurities from the top of the gumbo, turn the heat to high and boil vigorously 5 minutes. Slowly sprinkle in the file, stirring to incorporate thoroughly, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more.
• To serve, ladle gumbo into bowls or soup plates, add rice and sprinkle with green onions.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour to form a thick paste until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the flour turns a dark reddish-brown roux, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Pour water into a slow cooker.
• Stir in the roux, sausage, chicken, okra, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
• Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
• Skim off fat with a spoon.