Louisiana Gumbo Recipe
Every year, on the second weekend in October, the world’s passionate gumbo-lovers gather to celebrate this delicious hearty soup at the World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off in New Iberia, Louisiana. Ninety-plus teams compete for the title of best gumbo in the world.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 150g chorizo sausage, finely diced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3½ tbsp plain flour
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped with leaves reserved for garnish
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 green peppers, deseeded and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 200g okra, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 175g basmati and wild rice, rinsed
- 3 skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 250g peeled large raw prawns
- TO SERVE: hot pepper sauce
Method
Preparation:35min Cook:50min Ready in:1hr25min
- Put the chorizo sausage in the base of a flameproof casserole or heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the sausage, stirring frequently, until it has rendered some fat and is crisp at the edges. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
- Add the oil to the sausage fat remaining in the pan. Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly, until well blended. Cook very gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the roux turns a rich brown (like a peanut butter colour).
- Increase the heat slightly, stir in the celery, onions, green pepper and garlic and continue frying, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the stock, okra, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and cayenne pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, half cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the okra thickens the soup.
- Increase the heat and bring the liquid to the boil. Stir in the rice, then reduce the heat to low, add the chicken and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Pour in a little extra stock if needed. Add the prawns and reserved chorizo and simmer for 1 minute or until the prawns turn pink and the sausage is heated through.
- Remove the bay leaf. Season to taste, then ladle into bowls and garnish with the reserved celery leaves. Serve with hot pepper sauce.
