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Creole Gumbo

Name: Creole Gumbo
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 60 ml Olive oil (plus extra if needed); 2 Chicken breasts skin removed and cut into large chunks (Cubed sweet potato or sweetcorn may be used instead); 200 g Smoked sausage sliced (Chorizo may be used instead); 1 Onion finely chopped (large); 2 Celery stick finely chopped; 1 Green pepper deseeded and finely chopped (A red or yellow pepper may be used instead); 2 cloves Garlic cloves finely chopped; 22½ ml Cajun seasoning; 2 Thyme sprig; 1 tbsp Plain flour (heaped tablespoon); 500 ml Chicken stock (Use approximately half this amount when omitting the okra); 400 g Chopped tomatoes (1 tin); 175 g Okra topped, tailed and sliced into 1cm pieces - optional; 200 g King prawn peeled and deveined, with heads and tails left on (Mussels, clams or other cleaned shellfish may be used instead); Salt (to taste); Black pepper freshly ground (to taste); 1 Spring onion finely chopped (to garnish); 1 Lime cut into wedges (to serve)

Chicken, smoked sausage and king prawn gumbo with okra

A deeply flavoured Creole-style gumbo made with chicken, smoked sausage, vegetables, tomatoes, optional okra and king prawns, finished with spring onion and fresh lime.

Serves 4

Prep 25 min

Cook 45 min

Total 1 hr 10 min

Difficulty Medium

Start cooking Print recipe

Niki's Notes

I first tried gumbo in Walt Disney World in Florida, of all places. Ever since then, New Orleans has been on my bucket list to try the real thing, along with their beignets! Until I get there (and I will), this is the next best thing!
For the gumbo aficionados, this is a Creole-style gumbo, made with tomatoes. Cajun gumbo usually leaves them out, although Louisiana cooks may happily debate the finer points for hours.
The real work is the roux. Stir it slowly until it turns a deep, dark brown. It can take 30 to 40 minutes, so put on a podcast and resist the urge to wander off. Roux has a nasty habit of burning the moment you stop watching
You can find all the ingredients in the UK now - even Tesco sells both fresh and pre-cut frozen okra.

Ingredients

Creole Gumbo

60 ml Olive oil (plus extra if needed)
2 Chicken breasts skin removed and cut into large chunks (Cubed sweet potato or sweetcorn may be used instead)
200 g Smoked sausage sliced (Chorizo may be used instead)
1 Onion finely chopped (large)
2 Celery stick finely chopped
1 Green pepper deseeded and finely chopped (A red or yellow pepper may be used instead)
2 cloves Garlic cloves finely chopped
22½ ml Cajun seasoning
2 Thyme sprig
1 tbsp Plain flour (heaped tablespoon)
500 ml Chicken stock (Use approximately half this amount when omitting the okra)
400 g Chopped tomatoes (1 tin)
175 g Okra topped, tailed and sliced into 1cm pieces - optional
200 g King prawn peeled and deveined, with heads and tails left on (Mussels, clams or other cleaned shellfish may be used instead)
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper freshly ground (to taste)
1 Spring onion finely chopped (to garnish)
1 Lime cut into wedges (to serve)

Method

Make the Gumbo

Brown the chicken and sausage
Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and smoked sausage, brown them on all sides, then transfer them to a plate and set aside.

180°C (356°F)
Soften the vegetables
Add a little more oil if the pan looks dry. Stir in the onion, celery and pepper, then cook until softened, stirring regularly.

170°C (338°F)
Add the aromatics
Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning and thyme. Stir continuously just until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
Cook the flour
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn brown. Return the chicken, sausage and any resting juices to the saucepan.

170°C (338°F)
Simmer the gumbo
Pour in the chicken stock, using about half the quantity when the okra is omitted. Add the chopped tomatoes and okra, if using. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the gumbo has thickened.

150°C (302°F)
Cook the prawns
Stir in the king prawns and cook for a few minutes until they are pink, opaque and just cooked through. Season the gumbo with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve

Garnish and serve
Ladle the gumbo into bowls, scatter over the chopped spring onion and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Nutrition

Estimated values per serving.

Calories: 605 kcal
Protein: 47g
Carbs: 20g
Fat: 37g
Fibre: 5g