Gumbo has a long history of being made with whatever the kitchen has on hand, sothis is the perfect recipe to flex those “inspired by” muscles. 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup fat of your choice (mine is butter)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½–2 lbs chicken 
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 lb diced tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne, optional
  • 1½ cups sliced okra
  • 8–12 oz sausage links, sliced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Cooked white rice, for serving
  • Green onions or parsley, for serving

Method

  1. Start with the roux.
    In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the roux turns from a pale color to a deep, chocolatey brown. There are a lot of things that you can recover from in a kitchen, but burnt roux isn’t one of them. Watch this process closely. 
  2. Add the vegetables.
    Once your roux is a deep brown, add the onion, bell pepper and celery—the holy trinity of gumbo. It will bubble and hiss dramatically, so don’t be alarmed. Stir everything together and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  3. Build the gumbo.
    Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirring constantly. Add the chicken, tomatoes, bay leaves, paprika, thyme, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for about 30–40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the gumbo has thickened.
  4. Finish it up.
    Pull the chicken out, shred or chop it, and return it to the pot. Add the sliced sausage and okra and let everything simmer together for another 15–20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning—you want it deeply savory, a little spicy, and rich from that roux.
  5. Serve.
    Spoon it over white rice and finish with green onions or parsley.