Spicy Stew with Chicken, Shrimp, and Okra
This is a very forgiving, very flexible soup. Sometimes I add rice (about 1 cup cooked) to make it heartier, or andouille (4 ounces or so) for a zingier flavor. It is best to make a day or two before you plan on serving it, as a night in the fridge does wonders to marry and intensify the flavors.
Yields about two quarts.
Ingredients:
| unsalted butter | 2 tablespoons | |
|---|---|---|
| vegetable oil | 1/3 cup | |
| unbleached all-purpose flour | ¼ cup | |
| yellow onion | 1 cup | diced |
| celery | ½ cup | diced |
| red bell pepper | ½ cup | diced |
| garlic | lots | minced or pressed |
| tomato concasse, with juice | 7 ounces | |
| chicken stock | enough to cover the whole lot | |
| sliced okra | ½ cup | I use the frozen stuff, shhh! |
| chicken meat | 10 ounces | cooked and shredded |
| shrimp | 8 ounces | cooked and halved |
| oregano | ||
| thyme | ||
| chili powder | ||
| cayenne | ||
| sea salt | ||
| black pepper | freshly ground |
Procedure:
- In your soup pot over medium-high heat, melt oil and butter together. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until mixture looks like wet sand and smells like popcorn.
- Stir in onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper to coat in roux.
- Sprinkle in herbs and spices and stir to mix.
- Cover with chicken stock, add tomatoes, chicken, and shrimp.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked but not limp. The roux will also cook and thicken the soup a bit.
- Stir in okra.
- Rest in refrigerator overnight, warm, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
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