Chicken and smoked sausage gumbo

A deep, dark Louisiana stew built on a slowly cooked roux with chicken, smoky sausage and the Cajun "holy trinity" of onion, celery and pepper, spooned over rice. Gently warming, with hot sauce at the table.

Ingredients

• 80 ml Vegetable oil
• 70 g Plain flour
• 1 Onions, diced
• 0.3 Celery, 2 sticks, diced
• 1 Peppers, green, diced
• 0.3 Garlic, chopped
• 600 g Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks
• 250 g Smoked sausage, sliced
• 6 g Smoked paprika
• 2 g Dried thyme
• 2 g Chilli powder, or to taste
• 0.5 g Bay leaves
• 400 g Chopped tomatoes
• 2 Chicken stock cubes, made up with 1 litre hot water
• 3 Spring onions, sliced
• 320 g Basmati rice

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole, whisk in the flour and cook on a low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is the colour of milk chocolate. Do not let it burn.
2. Add the onion, celery, pepper and garlic and stir for a few minutes until softened.
3. Push the vegetables aside and add the chicken and sausage, stirring until coated and lightly browned.
4. Stir in the paprika, thyme, chilli powder and bay, then the tomatoes and stock, a little at a time, stirring so it stays smooth. Simmer, partly covered, until thickened and rich.
5. Cook the rice in a lidded pan with 480ml water towards the end.
6. Skim off any fat, taste for salt and ladle the gumbo over the rice with spring onions on top.