Main Courses Recipes - Prawn Gumbo Recipe

Ingredients

• 900g/2lb raw prawns in their shells

• 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil

• 6 rashers bacon (finely chopped)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (extra)

• 2 onions (finely chopped)

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 red pepper (chopped)

• 1 green pepper (chopped)

• 16 okra (trimmed, halved lengthways)

• 1 bay leaf

• 850g/1 3/4lb canned tomatoes

• Salt and pepper

• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Peel the prawns, leaving the tails intact. Gently pull out the dark vein from each prawn back, starting at the head end. Cover and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour turns nutty brown. Remove from the saucepan. This mixture will be used to thicken and flavor the gumbo.

3. Heat the extra oil in the saucepan, add the onion, cayenne and peppers and cook, stirring, over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown.

4. Add the okra, bay leaf and tomatoes to the saucepan and bring to the boil.

5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. You may need to add water if the mixture is too thick.

6. Stir the prawns and the roux into the mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper and Tabasco sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked.