Chicken & Okra Gumbo
Submitted by iwbennett02
Slow-simmered chicken and okra gumbo with a medium-brown roux, fresh tomatoes, and onions. The okra cooks down past the slime stage into a thick, velvety Louisiana classic served over rice.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsYou want to know the secret to okra gumbo without the slime? Patience. Cook the okra with the onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes slowly until it stops roping. That can take a full hour, but when it does, the okra turns into a natural thickener that gives the gumbo a body nothing else can replicate.
A four-pound chicken browned in oil and simmered until it’s falling off the bone builds a broth with serious depth. The roux goes medium-brown here, not as dark as some gumbos, which keeps the flavor toasty without overwhelming the okra and tomatoes.
Ladle it over rice, hit it with chopped parsley and green onion tops, and you’ve got a bowl of Louisiana soul.
Kitchen Tips
- Cook the okra until it stops roping. This is non-negotiable. That stringy, slimy texture disappears completely if you give it enough time over low heat with the vegetables. Rushing this step ruins the gumbo.
- Use a medium-brown roux, not dark. This gumbo gets its thickness from the okra, so the roux is more about flavor than thickening. Medium-brown gives a toasty, nutty taste without bitterness.
- Add water gradually and keep an eye on the level. The long simmer evaporates liquid. Add water as needed to keep everything submerged without drowning the flavors.
Ingredients
Directions
Brown the chicken in the oil. Take the chicken out.
Add the flour to the oil and make a medium brown roux.
Add the onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, and okra and cook slowly until the okra stops roping, maybe an hour.
Add 3 quarts of water, slowly. Add the chicken.
Cook slowly until the chicken is almost ready to fall off the bones, maybe an hour and a half.
Add water as needed.
Salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley and onion tops and serve over rice.
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