Gumbo is a soup most closely related to Cajun cooking. It should contain the grand trio of onions, celery, and bell peppers, as well as brown roux. These give the soup a fine, silky texture. Tasso is a smoked, pickled pork sausage and gives the dish a unique flavor of its own. If you do not have tasso, smoked ham will also work just fine.

Gather your ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 pound bacon

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 medium celery ribs, thinly sliced

2 jalapeño chile peppers, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

6 cups chicken broth

1 pound fresh or frozen okra, trimmed and sliced

1/3 pound tasso or smoked ham, diced

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 bay leaves

2 cups diced cooked chicken

2 tablespoons filé powder

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 to 6 cups cooked white rice, to serve

Louisiana-style hot sauce, to serve

Combine the oil and flour in a large frying pan, stirring with a wooden spoon frequently, until you have a smooth paste. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the roux is a rich chocolate brown color. This should take 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside for later. Be careful not to over cook!

Fry the bacon in a large soup pot or saucepan over medium heat until crisp - usually about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bacon and reserve for later.

Add the onion, green pepper, celery, jalapeños, and garlic to the bacon fat and sauté over medium heat until the onion is limp. This should take about 4 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and carefully stir in the roux. Add the okra, tasso, tomatoes, parsley, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil while stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer on low for approximately 30 minutes.

Add the chicken and filé powder. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper for taste. The amount you use is largely up to you. Simmer this mixture for about 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves. To serve, spread the gumbo over rice in large soup bowls. Some people will want hot sauce, so have this available at the table.