6 crabs, cooked in boiling water; reserve water 2 pounds baby okra 2 TBS flour 6 TBS oil 1 TBS butter 1 cup finely chopped onions 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 green pepper, chopped ½ cup chopped celery 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled...

• 6 crabs, cooked in boiling water; reserve water
• 2 pounds baby okra
• 2 TBS flour
• 6 TBS oil
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
• (save heads and shells)
• 8 cups of crab water
• 1 cup diced, cooked ham
• 1 11-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 5 dashes Tabasco
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ cup chopped green onions

1. Boil crabs about 20 minutes in lightly salted water; remove crabs, reserve water
2. Wash okra and clip off both ends; cut into 1/8 “ rounds
3. Heat 2 TBS oil and butter in skillet (not cast iron) and fry okra until sliminess disappears
4. In deep pot, pour remaining oil and stir in flour to make a roux, stirring constantly until a deep brown color is achieved, about 35 minutes
5. Add onions, garlic, green peppers, and celery; cook 5 minutes then add ham; cook for 10 minutes on low fire
6. Add tomatoes and shrimp and cook for 10 minutes
7. In a stock pot boil shrimp heads and shells in 8 cups of the salted crab water for about 30-45 minutes
8. Add okra to cooked vegetables then add the strained shrimp-crab stock
9. Add seasonings and simmer slowly for 2 hours
10. Remove shells from crabs and clean crab bodies; add crabmeat to pot; remove claws, crack them and add to pot
11. Add green onions during last 5 minutes of cooking
12. Serve over steamed rice

Serves 4-6