Chicken and Seafood Gumbo

Name: Chicken and Seafood Gumbo
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter; 6 chicken legs, skinned; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 large celery stalks, chopped; 1/2 cup uncooked aromatic brown rice; 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained; 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and diced; 1 cup frozen sliced okra; 4 cups chicken stock (page 91) or water; 1 bay leaf; Salt; 2 bacon slices; 1/3 pound shrimp, raw, unpeeled; 1/3 pound scallops, raw; 1/3 pound cooked crabmeat; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 to 2 teaspoons filé powder; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

December 9, 2011

Like much of the world’s good cooking, Creole and Cajun dishes are often whipped up on the spur of the moment using what’s on hand. Gumbo’s hallmark seasoning is filé powder (pronounced “fee-LAY”), made from dried, ground sassafras leaves, which provide both flavoring and thickening. Filé powder is traditionally added at the very end of the cooking time so it does not lose its flavor or aroma.

Cooks' Note

Suggested Beverage: Zinfandel seems like the right pairing for gumbo.

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