Shrimp And Okra Gumbo - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups okra, sliced into 1/4-inch wide slices
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups seafood stock
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
3/4 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in small bowl for seasoning mixture.
Heat 4 Tablespoons oil in 4-quart saucepan over high heat 1 minute.
Add 2 cups okra and saute until brown, about 6 minutes.
Stir onion, green pepper and celery into okra and cook 1 minute.
Add butter and cook 1 minute.
Mix in garlic and saute 1 minute.
Stir in seasoning mixture and continue cooking over high heat 3 minutes to blend flavors, scraping bottom of pan frequently.
Add flour and remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
Continue cooking until flour is brown,scraping bottom of pan frequently, about 2 minutes.
Mix in 1 1/2 cups stock, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan.
Stir in remaining stock; boil 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in remaining 1 cup okra and continue simmering for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
(Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead at this point. Cover and refrigerate.Slowly bring to a simmer before proceeding.).
Add green onion to soup and simmer 3 minutes.
Stir in shrimp and simmer until shrimp just turn pink, about 1 minute.
Salt to taste and serve.