SEAFOOD GUMBO (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• In slow cooker stoneware, combine onions, celery, garlic, thyme, dry mustard, bay leaf, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and stock. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until vegetables are tender.
• Add okra, green pepper, chili pepper, crabmeat, shrimp and cream. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes, or until okra and peppers are tender. Spoon into individual bowls and serve piping hot. Serves 6 to 8.
• TIP: Large cans of tomatoes come in 28 oz. (796 mL) and 35 oz (980 mL). In this recipe use the 28 oz. (796 mL) size. If you are using the 35 oz. (980 mL) size, drain off 1 cup liquid before adding to recipe.
• Okra, a tropical vegetable, is a great thickener for broths and sauces, but becomes unpleasantly sticky when overcooked. Choose young okra pods, 2 to 4 inches long, that don't feel sticky to the touch, which means they're too ripe. Gently scrub the pods, cut off the top and tail and slice, if desired.
• Look for Serrano chilies in Asian grocery stores or well stocked supermarkets. They are long and thin, usually green, but sometimes red, and about the size of a baby finger. (The green variety has been described as a "skinny jalepeno.").
• MAKE AHEAD: This dish can be partially assembled the night before it is cooked. Combine ingredients in Step 1 and refrigerate overnight. The next day, continue with Step 1 as directed. For added convenience, prepare the okra, green pepper and chili peppers. Combine in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Cook, devein and cut the shrimp and refrigerate, covered, in a separate bowl, until ready to use.
• The 150 Best Slow Cooker recipes Judith Finlayson.