SERVES 4
Essential ingredients for a Gumbo are Celery, Onion, Green Pepper and Okra. You can use whatever seafood you can find, but don't leave out the okra, which when cooked will help to thicken the gumbo
 

INGREDIENTS


3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
4 Slices Pancetta (Or Streaky Bacon) Chopped
1 Tablespoon Plain Flour
2 Celery Sticks Sliced
1 Onion Chopped
1 Green Pepper, Sliced
8 oz (225 g) Okra Thickly Sliced
1 Green Chilli
1 Bay Leaf
Sprig of Thyme
2 Tablespoons Spring Onion Chopped
1 Tablespoon Parsley Chopped
1 Lb (450 g) Tomatoes Chopped
8 King Prawns, Shell off and de-veined
8 oz (225 g) Mussels
8 oz (225 g) Cockles
8 oz Cod Fillet, Skinned and cut into chunks
1 / 2 Pints (840 ml) Stock

FOR THE STOCK

1 Medium Sized Potato, Roughly Chopped
1 Carrot Roughly Chopped
1 Leek Sliced White Part Only
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium Sized Onion Roughly Chopped
1 Stick of Celery Roughly Chopped
1 Bay Leaf
1 Small Bunch of Parsley
12 Black peppercorns
5 fl oz (150 ml) Dry White Wine
2 Pints (300 ml) Water
6 Cooked Prawns with shells
Shells from the King Prawns
 

PREPARATION
So, the first thing to do is to make the stock. Put all the vegetables for the stock in a large pan with the water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock and throw away the vegetables. Now add the fish heads and bones and the prawns to the vegetable stock, bring back to the boil and simmer for another 20 minutes. Strain the Fish stock and throw away the prawns and shells. Add the wine to the stock, and bring to the boil for a few moments to drive off the alcohol.

Whilst all this simmering is going on, this will give you time to chop all the other ingredients and also prepare the cockles and mussels.
Wash the mussels in plenty of cold water, scrape off any barnacles and pull off the 'beards'. Discard any mussels which are open and refuse to close when rapped with the edge of your knife.
Wash and scrub the cockles.

Start by putting the vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium heat and gently frying the plain flour, stirring continuously until it turns a light brown colour , 5 or 7 minutes say. Now add the pancetta or bacon and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Slowly add the stock, stirring as you do, then add all the ingredients apart from the seafood. Bring back to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. The vegetables need to be quite soft and well cooked.

We are now 4 minutes from the end. Add the King Prawns, mussels and cockles. Give the gumbo a stir and then add the chunks of cod. Put the lid on the pan and wait for the cockles and mussels to open.

Check the seasoning, add salt and ground black pepper to taste and serve. Discard any of the shellfish which haven't opened. Traditionally you would eat Gumbo with some long grain rice.