Crab Gumbo

2 tablespoons lard
2 tablespoons flour
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 (No. 2) cans tomatoes
1 pound okra, sliced round
1 pound raw shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
8-12 crabs, cleaned
1 pound crabmeat (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
black and red pepper to taste
tabasco

Make a golden roux in heavy skillet of lard and flour. Stir in onions, celery, green pepper and simmer a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add undrained tomatoes, and okra. Simmer until okra is tender. Place in large soup pot, add shrimp, crabs and three quarts of water. Add seasonings and cook slowly over low fire for several hours. Serve in soup bowls over steaming hot rice. (Gumbo is much tastier if crabmeat is added. More red pepper makes a hotter soup.)