Recipe - Gumbo - Cajun Style

2 tablespoon Lard; or shortening
2 tablespoon Flour
1 lg Onion; chopped
2 Garlic cloves; minced
One half cup Chopped celery
1 tablespoon Chopped parsley
1 Green pepper; chopped
1 cn Tomato puree (12 oz)
1 cup Water
1 cn Tuna; drained and flaked
1 cn Tiny shrimp (7oz); drained
1 teaspoon File' powder
Steamed rice

Guaranteed to conjure up dreams of mossdraped oaks and the bayou. This was
developed with the help of a Cajun friend's memory of watching his mama
cook it every Friday night when he was a boy in Louisiana. Making a "roux"
with the flour and lard is the most important part and the secret of a good
gumbo. Be careful and don't let it burn.

In a heavy pan, melt the lard (shortening: over very low heat. Add flour
and stir continuously until it turns a tawny brown color (it may take as
long as 15 minutes, but don't rush it because if it burns, the gumbo will
be ruined). Now add the onion, garlic, celery, parsley, and green pepper
and braise about 5 mintues, being careful, again, not to burn it. Add
tomato puree, 1 cup water, tuna, and shrimp and simmer for 45 minutes. Add
file' powder and serve over fluffy steam rice.

From: The Tuna Cookbook

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini