So what is gumbo-laya? It’s a hearty stew with sausage, chicken and shrimp combined with finely diced vegetables and simmered in a sauce served over garlic-infused jasmine rice.
Don’t let the long list of ingredients and directions deter you from trying this Cajun recipe. It’s really pretty easy and Cutco can provide all the tools you need to prep and cook this slightly spicy mash-up of gumbo and jambalaya.
The Cutco Dutch Oven and the 3-Qt. Sauce Pan are the only pieces of cookware you’ll need to prepare the entire recipe.
Use the Trimmer to easily slice the sausage and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
QUICK TIP: Using chicken that is well chilled will make it easier to cut.
The sharp edge of the 5″ Petite Santoku, meanwhile, can finely dice the celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic with minimum effort.
As an FYI, and to impress your friends, the combination of onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic is known as the holy trinity in the culinary world. Without the garlic, it’s referred to as just, the trinity. On the other hand, mirepoix is a combination of onion, carrots and celery.
I purchased frozen shrimp that was already peeled and deveined but if you purchase fresh shrimp, they can easily be peeled and deveined using the Bird’s Beak Paring Knife. The curved blade fits the curve of the shrimp perfectly. Once sliced open, remove the shell and then use the tip of the knife to remove the vein. It’s quick and easy.
Once the ingredients are prepped, each of them needs only a short amount of cook time before everything is combined and simmered for about 20 minutes. Be sure to taste the Gumbo-laya as it cooks and, if you like, add more heat by tossing in more hot sauce, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Put a generous serving of rice in a bowl or dish and ladle some gumbo-laya on top or next to it and dig in
MAKES: 6 – 8 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
- For Gumbo-laya
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound spicy andouille or smoked sausage, sliced
- 8 chicken tenderloins cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 large green or red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 pound fresh or frozen okra, sliced
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 cups hot chicken stock
- 1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium size raw shrimp
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- For Garlic Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups water
DIRECTIONS
- Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Heat the oil until hot then add the sliced sausage. Cook the sausage until well browned, remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken in the oil/sausage drippings for about 3 minutes, remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add the celery, onion and bell pepper to the pot and caramelize for 2-3 minutes, then add the bay leaves, the Creole seasoning, the cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add in the garlic and stir, then add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute to cook out the raw tomato flavor.
Add the okra, the tomatoes with juice, the hot chicken stock, the sausage and chicken. Stir to combine and simmer gently on low/medium-low heat uncovered for 20 minutes.- Add in the shrimp and simmer for only 2 minutes so the shrimp does not overcook.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and cilantro and serve over the garlic rice.
- For the rice: Place a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the rice and salt and pepper and stir. Let the rice “toast” in the garlic oil for about 2 minutes. Add the water and stir, cover and allow to simmer about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
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