Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1      cup           chopped onions
   1      cup           chopped celery
   1      cup           chopped green bell pepper
   2      cloves        garlic -- minced
     1/4  cup           butter or margarine
     1/4  cup           flour -- all-purpose
                        salt to taste
                        pepper to taste
     1/8  teaspoon      Tabasco sauce
   5                    bay leaves
   1      16 oz can     tomatoes -- drained
   1      cup           tomato juice
   5      cups          hot water
   3      cups          shrimp -- shelled/deveined
   6      small         hard-shell crabs
  24                    shucked oysters
   1      pound         okra -- chopped
   3      cups          hot cooked rice
                        chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. In large Dutch oven, gently sauté onion, celery and bell pepper in butter; add garlic and continue to sauce 5 minutes. 2. Remove from heat and slowly stir in flour. 3. Add salt, pepper, Tabasco, bay leaves, tomatoes and tomato juice; simmer for 15 minutes. 4. Add the hot water, shrimp, crabs, oysters, and okra; cover and simmer 30 minutes. 5. Spoon a few tablespoons cooked rice in each of six large soup bowls; ladle gumbo onto rice and garnish with parsley.