Quarantine Cooking: Gullah Chicken Gumbo from Sallie Ann Robinson’s Kitchen

Tired of all the boxed quarantine snacks? Sian Hunter, UPF senior acquisitions editor, mixed up her quarantine fare with this Gullah Chicken Gumbo from Sallie Ann Robinson’s Kitchen. 

Here’s why Sian chose this recipe:

I chose this recipe because it sounded comforting. That I had most of the ingredients on hand was plus. Finding okra was a bit of a concern. On my next venture to the grocery, I headed down the freezer aisle and met picked-over shelves in the frozen veggie section, but there it was—a lone bag of okra—cue the joyful quarantine-cooking chorus!!

Gullah Chicken Gumbo

1½ cups vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
½ large green bell pepper, diced
½ large red bell pepper, diced
10 to 12 tomatoes, diced
½ (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme leaves
1½ pounds white and dark meat chicken pieces, bone in, skin on
1½ to 2 pounds okra, cut into 1-inch rounds

• In a large stockpot, heat ½ cup of the oil over medium-high heat, then stir in the onion and bell peppers and fry for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, and 1½ quarts water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover the pot, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring on occasion.
• Taste to check the seasoning, than add the chicken and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring on occasion, until the chicken is fork tender, but not falling from the bone. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining 1 cup oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add the okra and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until it begins to brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add the fried okra to the gumbo pot and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot with your choice of rice, biscuits, or cornbread.

Note from Sallie Ann Robinson: “Some folks put okra in the pot without frying it, but I like to fry it first because it is less slimy and adds better texture to the gumbo.”

Sian’s verdict:

LOVE THIS RECIPE! This gumbo is wonderfully hearty and satisfying, and the scents created by the long simmer on the stove kept my daughter circling back through the kitchen to see if it was ready yet. I was short on chicken so added some smoked sausage, and the gumbo, being a welcoming sort of dish, took that substitution right in stride!