Chicken and Okra Gumbo

Gumbo is one of Louisiana’s signature dishes, and can be found in homes and restaurants throughout the state. This hearty soup served over rice is strongly influenced by Native American, French, Creole, and African cuisines. It typically includes okra (the name comes from “gombo,” the word for okra in several West African countries), along with andouille or other smoked sausage, shrimp, and other meats and vegetables.

Gumbo is traditionally thickened with filé, a powder made from dried and ground sassafras leaves, but is also thickened with a roux made from flour and fat (usually bacon fat, lard, butter, or oil) that reflects its Creole influences. 

At Boston's Tupelo, chef Rembs Layman prepares rich gumbo with house-made stock and a jerk seasoning paste that references the dish's Creole roots. He suggests using store-bought rotisserie chicken, canned chicken broth and jerk paste for this quick, easy version of gumbo to make at home. You'll start by making a roux, and cooking it for more than an hour, until it is a deep brown color. Then you will cook the Cajun and Creole "holy trinity" of celery, bell pepper, and onion in the roux, and simmer the vegetables, aromatics, and andouille sausage in stock before adding the okra and chicken. Rice and hot sauce are the finishing touches to this warming meal.