Ingredients

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup flour

1 cup onion (diced)

1 cup celery (diced)

1 cup green pepper (diced)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 pound okra (trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch slices)

4 cups shrimp stock

1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes (chopped)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined, save those shells for shrimp stock)

4 cups cooked rice

1 bunch green onions (sliced)

1 handful parsley (chopped)

Preparation

  1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Mix in the flour and cook until it turns a dark golden brown while stirring constantly, about 4-6 minutes.
  3. Add the onions, celery and green pepper and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  5. Add the okra and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the shrimp stock, tomatoes, paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 1-3 hours.
  8. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3-5 minutes.
  9. Serve with rice and garnish with green onions and parsley.