Gumbo

When I posted my fried chicken, Faux Fuchsia asked whether I was on a deep South jag. I realised that the answer to that is a resounding yes. I've been craving food I've only ever heard about - shrimp & grits, collard greens, shoofly pie and beignet.

And a couple of weeks ago I made gumbo. I followed Felicity Cloake's recipe.

Roux

After 45 minutes I got bored with the roux, so it wasn't as dark as it should have been, but it still added a nutty flavour as well as thickness to the stew.

The trinity

I followed the recipe fairly closely - using 125g of okra since that was the size package it came in. I realised once I'd made it, looking at the fairly meagre shreds of chicken, that when she said "chicken legs" she probably meant chicken marylands, or drumstick and thigh portions, whereas I had just used drumsticks.

Even so, it made a rib-sticking meal served with a good portion of rice. Basmati, not from Carolina. My mother was astounded when I said I'd made and intentionally eaten something with okra in it, but somehow the mucilaginous texture which normally sends me screaming just works well in this. It definitely needs a good slug of hot sauce to brighten the flavours though.

Now to go in search of hominy grits for my next Southern culinary adventure.