Cajon Chicken & Prawn Gumbo 🇺🇸

I have numerous recipes for using okra, or 'ladies' fingers' as we sometimes call them, but this Cajon style chicken and prawn gumbo is a dish I always make when I find these bright green, beautifully shaped seed pods in the market.  Choose the smaller ones as they are more tender than the large ones.  Known for being 'slimy' after they've been cut, their mucilage actually helps to thicken a stew like in this instance.  I put them into the gumbo together with the capsicums and celery towards the end of cooking so they hold their colour and crunch.  Sliced Cajun andouille or chorizo sausages and crab meat can also be added to the dish if you want to be extravagant.  Originated in New Orleans, gumbo is served as a hearty soup or with rice.  I love it with basmati rice cooked in chicken stock and a can of black beans.  (See Basmati Rice with Black Beans.)  The two together makes a family feast.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium size onion, peeled and chopped
• 500g / 1 lb 2oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
• ⅓ cup plain flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
• 500ml / 17fl oz chicken stock
• 400g / 14oz tinned tomatoes
• a few drops of Tabasco sauce or ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 185g / 6½oz okra, tops removed, cut in half if large
• 185g / 6½oz capsicum, any colours, seeds and membranes removed, cut into chunks
• 12 medium size raw prawns, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• boiled rice, to serve

METHOD

1. In a large frying pan heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened.  Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
2. Add chicken, a handful at a time, to the pan.  Let them brown lightly on one side before turning them over to brown the other side.  (There is no need to cook them fully at this stage.)
3. Add the flour, paprika and thyme leaves, stirring constantly to combine with the chicken mixture, for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the stock gradually, stirring constantly, and bring the sauce to a boil.  Stir in the tomatoes, Tabasco sauce/chilli powder, vinegar, sugar and salt to taste.  Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
5. Add the prawns, okras, capsicum and celery.   Stir well to mix with all ingredients and let them cook in the simmering sauce for a few minutes.   The gumbo is ready when the prawns are cooked and the vegetables have softened to your liking.  Sprinkle black pepper on top.  
6. Serve hot with boiled rice.