Louisiana - The Pelican State, State flower: Southern Magnolia

1. Seafood Gumbo
2. Green Salad with Rmoulade Sauce
3. Oyster Pie
4. Red Beans and Rice
5. Leeks, Vinaigrette Hot
6. Creole Corn Bread
7. Sweet Potato - Pecan Pie

Seafood Gumbo

½ lb. piece of ham
1-½ lbs. raw shrimps, shelled and de-veined
1 garlic clove, minced
4 white onions, chopped
¾ lb. okra, trimmed and sliced to ½" pieces
1-½ cups shopped peeled tomatoes (canned may be used)
6 oz. tomato paste, canned is fine
3 cups chicken stock
Tabasco
1 Tbsp file or Creole seasoning, optional
1 green pepper, chopped
1 lb crab meat
1 lemon, rind grated

Trim ham of fat, cut lean meat into ½ " cubes and render enough fat to make about 2 Tbsp in bottom of heavy skillet, reserve remainder.

Rinse shrimps, pat dry. Sauté garlic and onions in ham fat with okra 10 minutes add shrimp, continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove shrimp and okra to refrigerator.

Stir tomatoes into skillet and add tomato paste, stock, several dashes Tabasco and Creole seasoning. Cook for two hours or more.

Thirty minutes before serving add okra. Heat some of the reserved ham fat and sauté chopped green pepper and crab meat for about 10 minutes. Add grated lemon rind and the reserved shrimp. Heat thoroughly, remove from heat and add file powder, stirring in. Serve over hot rice.

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