Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

From Paul Prudhomme's 1987 volume "The Prudhomme Family Cookbook,". Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) salt, 1 teaspoon red pepper and the garlic powder. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the onions with the bell peppers and set aside. In a 2-quart cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat, heat 1/2 cup of the oil until hot and just short of smoking, about 4 minutes. Using a long-handled metal whisk or wooden spoon, very gradually stir the flour into the hot oil. Cook, whisking constantly or stirring briskly, until roux is medium red-brown, 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let mixture scorch or splash on your skin. Reduce heat to low and cook until roux is dark red-brown, 1 to 2 minutes more, whisking or stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately add the onion and bell pepper mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Continue stirring until roux stops getting darker, about 2 minutes more. Set aside. In a 6-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven, combine the remaining 1/2 cup oil with okra, tomatoes, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and the remaining onions and red pepper. Place over high heat and cook about 20 minutes, until sticking is excessive, stirring frequently (almost constantly toward the end of cooking time) and scraping pan bottom well each time. Add 1/2 cup stock and cook and stir about 5 minutes more. (The procedure of stirring and scraping the pan bottom is a major factor in making this dish so good.) Add 3 1/2 cups stock and stir until all sediment on pan bottom is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, then add the roux by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until roux is blended in before adding more. Add the remaining 2 quarts stock, the chopped garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the green onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp
cook just until gumbo comes to a simmer and shrimp are pink and plump, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook shrimp. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Makes 12 servings Per serving: 347 calories (percent of calories from fat, 55), 25 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 21 grams fat, 164 milligrams cholesterol, 750 milligrams sodium.