American Kitchen Classic Louisiana Gumbo

Gumbo is perhaps the signature dish, a cross cultural dish, of both cuisines, Cajun and Creole. Creole cooking is city cooking: refined, delicate and luxurious, developed and originally prepared by servants while Cajun cooking is French cooking techniques on a host of new ingredients unknown from the Cajuns stays in Nova Scotia and France, exotic forms of meat, game, fish, produce, and grains.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  lb andouille sausage, sliced
• 1  lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces or 1  lb chicken thigh
• 1⁄2 cup butter, cubed
• 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1⁄2 cups yellow onions, chopped
• 2  cups green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups celery, chopped
• 1  tablespoon garlic, minced
• 6  cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (14 1/2ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained (Hunts)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  ground thyme
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  lb shrimp, thawed if frozen-peeled and deveined
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen cut okra
• 1  tablespoon file powder
•  hot cooked rice (optional)

Directions

1. Heat large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add sausage and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage browns. Remove sausage from pan; set aside.
2. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned (bottom of pan will be brown). Remove from pan; set aside.
3. Add butter to pan; when melted, stir in flour and cook 10 minutes or until mixture is golden brown and nutty in aroma, stirring constantly. If it burns even slightly, throw it out and start over again.
4. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to pan; stir to combine. Add broth and undrained tomatoes; bring mixture to a boil.
5. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and red pepper. Add shrimp and okra to pan; cook 5 to 7 minutes more or until shrimp are pink and okra is warmed through.
6. Return chicken and sausage to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. Remove from heat; stir in file powder just before serving. Serve over rice, if desired.