Ingredients
Serves 4-6
125gr plain flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
8 skinless chicken thigh fillets, diced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
225gr lard (I use the equivalent amount of vegetable oil)
3 sticks celery, chopped
4 medium brown onions, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 green capsicum, diced
2-3 spicy sausages, chopped (I use smoked chorizo)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 litres chicken stock
Method
Mix 3 tablespoons of the flour with the seasonings in a bowl, then toss the chicken until the cubes are well coated with spices. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken until it is golden brown (not cooked through). Remove chicken, drain and set aside. Fry off the chorizo using whatever oil is left in the pan until well coloured. Drain and set aside.
Heat the lard (or oil if using instead), add the remaining flour and cook, stirring constantly over low-medium heat until you have a dark brown roux (this can take up to 45 minutes). You can cook it over a high heat for a short time, but it is extremely hot (and dangerous) and great care should be taken. Remove the roux from the heat and stir in the chopped vegies. Stir until the vegies are well coated and the roux has stopped darkening. Return to the heat and cook until vegies are limp.
Add the stock, a little at a time, stirring well so that there are no lumps. Bring to the boil, add chicken, sausage and garlic. Reduce heat and simmer for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve over rice.
Notes from Arianne….
Traditionally a type of sausage called Andouille would be used in the gumbo. I have not seen this here, so I use chorizo instead. This is usually available either hot or mild, so use whatever you prefer. It adds a great smoky flavour to the gumbo.
Originally either okra (in season) or file powder would be used to thicken the gumbo, however in most restaurant kitchens now the roux is generally the only thickening method. The roux adds a fantastic depth of colour and flavour. It is quite correct to cook the roux until it is a very dark brown colour. This is known as a mahogany roux. Depending on the type of dish, most Cajun recipes will tell you what colour to cook the roux till (i.e. peanut butter roux; medium red-brown or dark mahogany brown).