GUILT-FREE CHICKEN, CRAB AND OKRA GUMBO

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
This recipe is yet another take on the famed soup of the Cajuns. Creative variations of the dish are prominent at the Gumbo Cooking Contest at the Gumbo Festival in Bridge City, La.

Ingredients:
3 cups boneless, skinless (1-inch) cubed chicken meat
3 gumbo crabs
1 pound claw crabmeat
1 cup sliced okra
2 tbsps olive oil
1 cup diced onions
¾ cup diced celery
½ cup diced bell peppers
¼ cup minced garlic
¾ cup oil-less roux
2½ quarts hot chicken stock
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup sliced green onions
½ cup chopped parsley
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste

Method:
In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté 3–5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onions, celery, bell peppers and minced garlic. Stir in oil-less roux, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook 1–2 minutes. Slowly add hot chicken stock, 1 ladle at a time, until all is added, blending well. Add gumbo crabs. Bring mixture to a rolling boil then reduce to simmer. Add green onions and parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Cook 15 minutes. Add okra and cook an additional 10–15 minutes. Fold in crabmeat and cook 1–2 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve over steamed brown rice.