This was a recipe I cooked frequently when we lived on the coast.
3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
2 cups tomato juice
4 cups water
10 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds fresh okra, sliced
3 strips bacon
3 tablespoons flour
1 large onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups cooked shrimp
1 tablespoon gumbo file (optional)
2 cups hot boiled rice
Combine the tomatoes, tomato juice, water, seasonings and okra in a Dutch oven. Fry the bacon crisp, chop it and lay it aside. Add the flour to the bacon fat in the pan, make a thick paste and simmer until brown. Add the garlic and onion to this, fry until light brown and combine with the tomato mixture. Add the shrimp. Simmer for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Add the file and serve on mounds of hot boiled rice in deep soup dishes.
