Carolina Gumbo

Even most Southerners don’t realize that ever since the days of the great Carolina rice plantations, gumbo has been as popular in the coastal Lowcountry as in Louisiana. The main difference between the two gumbos is that the Carolina version is not based on a roux the way the Creole classic is, and depends exclusively on the okra and long-simmered major ingredients themselves to thicken the soup—an explanation for why the seafood is purposefully overcooked. Most cooks I know around Wilmingt