Chicken and smoked-pork gumbo is flavoured with tomatoes, herbs and chilli.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kilograms corn-fed chicken, cut in 8 portions
• 2-3 tblsp flour
• 2 tblsp tomato paste
• 400 gram can tomatoes in juice, diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 2 peppers, diced
• 2-3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 large red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 500 grams smoked spicy pork sausage
• salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to season
• 1 tblsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tblsp file powder

Method

1. Brown the chicken pieces in 2 tablespoons clarified butter. Drain well and reserve.
2. Stir flour into residue butterand cook the roux, stirring continuously, until it turns a caramel colour. Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes and chicken stock, stirring well until the sauce thickens.
3. In another pan, gently fry onions, peppers and celery in 1 tablespoon clarified butter or oil, thus creating what is known as the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking. Add garlic and chilli and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, but not brown.
4. Combine the cooked vegetables and sauce. Add the browned chicken and smoked sausage. Season with cayenne, black pepper and thyme. Cover and simmer very gently for about 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
5. Remove from the heat, stir in the file powder to thicken. Season. Serve immediately with boiled rice. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Cooks Tips

- File powder is the ground dried leaves of the American sassafras tree. It has a light spicy flavour, but its main use is as a thickening agent.