1.8 cups canned tomatoes thick canned crushed one 15-ounce can
0.3 teaspoon cayenne
2 ribs celery chopped
1 quart chicken broth low-sodium homemade canned
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1.5 teaspoons thyme leaves dried
3 tablespoons flour
1 bell pepper green chopped
0.3 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper black
10 ounces okra frozen sliced
1 onion chopped
1 teaspoon oregano dried
0.8 cup rice long-grain
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound chicken breasts boneless skinless cut into 3/4-inch pieces
0.5 pound sausage smoked halved lengthwise
Equipment
bowl
ladle
whisk
pot
Directions
In a large stainless-steel pot, heat the oil over moderate heat.
Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 7 minutes.
Add the okra, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the broth and the smoked sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until just done, 4 to 5 minutes longer.
Remove the bay leaf.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, 10 to 12 minutes.
Drain. Put a mound of rice in the center of each bowl. Ladle the gumbo around the rice.
Wine Recommendation: No region of the wine world is producing more exciting wine bargains than the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Try any one of their sturdy reds with this hearty gumbo.
