Commander'S Palace Seafood Gumbo - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 cups diced onions
2 cups diced green bell peppers
1 (28 ounce) can of petite diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 lbs frozen cut okra, defrosted
2 quarts seafood stock
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined (use the shells to make your seafood stock)
2 dozen oysters, shucked
1 lb lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons file powder

Preparation

Combine onions, peppers, tomatoes and their juice, and tomato sauce in a heavy 8 quart pot.
Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add thyme, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper; blend well, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add okra. When okra is bright in color and is cooked but still crisp, add stock. Bring to a rapid, rolling boil, then lower heat.
Add shrimp, oysters, and crab meat and simmer for 15 minutes longer.
Combine file powder with 1 cup of the soup. Remove gumbo from heat and stir in the file'-soup mixture. Correct seasoning to taste.
Served over cooked rice and season to taste with Tabasco sauce.