Some of you might be aware that I’m planning a bit of a U.S. road trip in the autumn. We’re driving from Chicago to Texas, via the south-eastern states*: taking in some rednecks, rodeo and – of course – a whole load of real American food. I’m thinking Texan barbecue, Cajun spices, Atlantan seafood, and New Orleans’ French-Creole fusion… Needless to say, I am almost wetting myself in excitement.
So, in preparation, I got my hands on a copy of Jamie’s America and started flicking through for inspiration… I then spotted okra in my local corner shop, which is apparently in season in the summer, although I doubt it grows in Holland… et voila: 2 + 2 = gumbo.
I don’t think I’d ever even eaten gumbo before, let alone cooked it, so I wasn’t entirely sure what I was aiming at. I also made some fairly significant substitutions, because I didn’t have any crab or lobster lying around the house, so I decided to add chicken and sweet potato to my prawns and spicy sausage (in my case, Spanish chorizo). I think the recipe called for too much flour and too much stock (which gave it that slightly Campbell’s tomato soup consistency), but all in all, it wasn’t a bad first attempt.
I fully expect, however, to learn a lot from my time in Louisiana. And I plan to try this again once I’ve eaten the authentic version to see if I can improve it.
