Chipotle-Honey Gumbo with Coconut Rice

So, the internet is chock full of great classic Gumbo recipes, yes? Yes. I certainly don’t need to add another one, so what I am doing here is adding a very delicious riff on the classic. This spicy Chipotle-Honey Gumbo comes in smoky and slightly sweet, and welcome flavor combination in this saucy Creole stew. Even better? We’ll ladle this liquid gold over easy coconut rice, for an added simple sweet note to the finished dish. It’s crazy delicious and simple to prepare, the longest part is getting your roux brown, so just build in about 20 to 25 minutes for that and you’re golden (like umm, the roux).

What is Gumbo?

Gumbo is the official state food of Louisiana. This fact alone makes it supremely cool, in my opinion. It’s a stew (some say it’s a soup) that consists primarily of deeply flavored stock, a variety of meats and/or shellfish, the “holy trinity” of veggies (celery, bell pepper, and onion), and a roux as the thickening agent. Gumbo is almost always served over rice.

What are the ingredients in Gumbo?

• A classic Creole gumbo typically involves shellfish, though my Chipotle-Honey Gumbo recipe doesn’t have it. (My family is off shrimp right now, y’all). Plus, I love the savory combo of shredded chicken thighs and salty andouille sausage. But of course, if you want to add some shrimp to the mix, you can certainly do so. Just add it in after the stew has finished cooking. It will cook in just a couple of minutes, right in that rich flavorful broth.
• A roux is also a part of classic gumbo, along with plenty of other Cajun and Creole dishes. A roux is simply a mixture of fat (usually butter) and flour that is cooked until it reaches whatever color of brown or doneness you’re aiming for. One thing I can tell you is that you’ll be laughed out of any real discussion of Creole cooking if you cook your roux for any time less than 15 minutes, and that’s really pushing it. To really honor the classic methods, you need to let your roux cook for upwards of 25 to even 35 minutes to develop a rich, almost chocolatey brown color. This lends so many dishes, from étouffée to this Gumbo, such as depth of flavor that it can’t be skipped.
• The holy trinity, which is chopped green bell pepper, onion, and celery. This is a staple combination of aromatics that gives so many classic Cajun and Creole dishes their distinct depth of flavor.
• Stock. So, seeing as how this is a soup/stew, the base of a good Gumbo is a richly flavored stock. The aforementioned roux and trinity will go to work, helping to create a stock that is richly flavored and deeply browned.
• Gumbo also doesn’t have to contain okra, which I think is a common misconception. It certainly can contain okra, but it doesn’t like, break the deal if you opt to leave it out. Okra, incidentally, is sometimes used as a substitute for file’ powder, which I’ll explain a little bit about below.

What is file powder?

File’ powder is an iconic, staple ingredient in both Cajun and Creole cooking. Made from ground sassafras powder. This is nearly impossible to find in any consistent manner at your standard American grocery store (some have it, some don’t, tough to rely on it), so many Gumbo recipes offer good substitutions for it. File powder is essentially responsible for adding flavor to Creole dishes, along with its thickening properties.

Here, we’re going to use a classic roux to help thicken our soup, and will politely acknowledge the absence of file powder in our version here today.

What is the difference between Gumbo and Jambalaya?

Gumbo and Jambalaya have some similar ingredients going on, absolutely. But it is their presentation that really sets them apart. Whereas jambalaya is a drier, flavored rice with proteins, Gumbo is a full-on stew/soup. Gumbo is a brothy, liquid situation and while it is served on top of rice, it really doesn’t resemble jambalaya when all is said and done.

What You’ll Need to make this Chipotle-Honey Gumbo

This is a vert traditional mix of gumbo ingredients, save for the conspicuous additions of chipotle and honey. The coconut rice is SO DELICIOUS in this, but is also a veer from the standard plain white rice. Incidentally, plain white rice just isn’t my favorite thing. So, I usually opt for something a little more exciting.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 6 andouille sausage links, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Creole seasoning, to taste (this is spicy, see note for sub)

5 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 bell peppers (any color), finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 canned chipotle pepper + 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can (see note for less spicy sub)

3 tablespoons honey

15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup white rice

15-ounce can coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Serving suggestions: chopped parsley, scallions, crusty bread

How to make this Chipotle Honey Gumbo

This is a straightforward method for Gumbo, and it differs from my étouffée and Chicken fricassee in a couple of simple ways. The fricassee has mega creaminess and also wine in it. The étouffée has beer and a sauce that is a bit more refined. The trinity/garlic mixture is puled in a food processor so it becomes pulpy, resulting in a smooth sauce. This gumbo is basically just a straightforward stew. It has tons of broth, lots of aromatic veggies, two kinds of savory meat, and rice to soak it all up.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a tray. 
2. Season the chicken lightly with the Creole seasoning and brown for about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer to the tray with the sausage, leaving the drippings behind.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and flour to the pot. Then you want to cook until the roux/mixture is deeply tanned – the color of almond butter; takes about 20 minutes (more is great, if you have the time).
4. Then, add the chopped onion, bell peppers, and celery. Cook that trinity for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Season lightly with Creole seasoning. Add the garlic, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and honey and cook one minute more.
5. Next, add the tomatoes and stock and let the stew simmer for 15 minutes, so the flavors can develop. After 15 minutes, transfer the chicken to a cutting board

Meanwhile, make the rice. Prepare the rice according to the package instructions, replacing half of the water with coconut milk. Serve with the Gumbo, and top with chopped parsley and/or scallions, if you like. Don’t forget crusty bread for dipping!

A Few Recipe Notes for You

So, Creole seasoning is pretty spicy. This is especially when combined with the chipotles (to me, a perfect combo but I get it). So, if you want to reduce the spiciness here but are pumped to use the chipotles, you can skip the Creole seasoning and use Italian seasoning in its place. 

Speaking of spicy things, chipotles really pack some serious heat. If spicy isn’t your thing, you can still conjure a wonderful smokiness in this gumbo, just swap in 3 teaspoons of smoked paprika and you’re good to go. 

If you like the looks of this Chipotle-Honey Gumbo, you might also want to check out:

Creamy Sage Butter Chicken and Polenta

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

Best Ever Shrimp Creole

Saucy Creole Meatballs and Grits

Spice Rubbed Chicken with Loaded Rice and Chile

Cauliflower and Sausage Soup with Kale Chips

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