Louisiana Gumbo Casserole

Serves: 8

1 pound large shrimp
2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1/2 pound)
1 medium-size onion
3 hot Italian-sausage links (about 1/2 pound)
Vegetable oil
1 (10 ounce) package frozen whole okra, thawed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt
1 (8 ounce) bottle clam juice
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) package corn muffin mix
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg

Shell and de-vein shrimp. Rinse shrimp with running cold water. Cut chicken-breast halves into 1/2-inch strips. Chop onion. Remove casing from sausages.

Heat vegetable oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage meat until browned, stirring frequently. With slotted spoon, remove sausage meat to medium bowl.

Add 1 more tablespoon vegetable oil to drippings in same skillet in drippings. Cook onion 10 minutes; add chicken and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until onion is tender and chicken is lightly browned; remove to deep 3-quart casserole. Add shrimp and okra to casserole.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Add 2 more tablespoons vegetable oil to same skillet. Over low heat, stir in flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Gradually stir in clam juice until blended; stir in stewed tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Pour into casserole.

Stir corn-muffin mix, milk, egg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into sausage meat just until mixed. Spoon cornbread batter over seafood mixture around edge of casserole leaving center open.

Bake casserole, uncovered, 20 minutes or until corn bread is nicely browned. Cover casserole loosely with foil to prevent over-browning; bake 20 to 25 minutes longer until mixture is hot and bubbly and shrimp turn opaque throughout. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.