Recipe - Gumbo File

One half pound Lump crabmeat, picked over
One fourth cup Shortening
2 tablespoon Flour (heaping)
One fourth cup Onion, chopped
1 pound Okra, rinsed, trimmed, and t
inly cut or sliced up
One half cup Ham, chopped
16 ounce Tomatoes with juices
2 tablespoon Green bell pepper, finely ch
pped
2 Garlic cloves, minced, and m
shed to paste with
One half teaspoon Salt
1 Bay leaf
6 Parsley sprigs
1 Thyme sprig
2 tablespoon Celery leaves, chopped
Three fourths pound Shrimp, shelled
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 tablespoon File' powder

In a heavy skillet, melt the shortening over modlow heat. Add flour and
cook the roux, stirring constantly, for 30 minutes, or until it is the
color of cocoa. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring until onion begins to
brown. Add okra and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until
okra is golden. In a kettle, bring 8 cups water to a boil, add the roux
mixture, ham, tomatoes, with juice, bell pepper, garlic paste, bay leaf,
parsley, thyme, and celery leaves. Simmer the mixture, stirring
occasionally for 50 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and lump crabmeat and
simmer for 5 minutes or until shrimp are firm. Season it with cayenne and
salt. Discard bay leaf and serve the gumbo sprinkled with file' powder.
Makes about 9 cups. a 1945 Gourmet Mag. favorite.