One of my go-to lunches has always been the Brenda’s Soul Food. My order is a cup of the famous Chicken, Sausage and Okra Gumbo plus a side of Hushpuppies with Chipotle Remoulade (Yeah, that adds up to a delicious total of $8.75). But, not all of us have the time to head over to the Polk Street eatery and instead would like to impress our family and friends with some French Soul Food at home. Here's how:   

Ingredients:

Gumbo

1 pound butter

1 pound flour

1 pound okra, sliced

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

8 minced garlic cloves

2 large yellow onions

8 ribs celery, diced medium

2 large bell peppers, diced medium

3 quarts chicken stock

3 bay leaves

1 whole roasted chicken, meat shredded

2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup Tabasco

3 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and black pepper to taste

Garnish

Steamed white rice

Minced scallion

Minced parsley

1. To start, create a roux by combining the butter and flour in your pot. Stir constantly to avoid burning until the combination is dark brown.

2. In a separate pan, add sliced okra to 1 cup of oil. Cook until no longer slimy, then set aside.

3. In a pot, combine 2 cups of your roux with the sliced andouille sausage together. Cook until the sausage is slightly crispy.

4. Add the minced garlic, diced celery and bell peppers (about half an inch in size) to the pot. Cook 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

5. Add the chicken stock, shredded roasted chicken, okra and bay leafs.

6. Let the pot simmer for 1 hour to reduce the broth.

7.  Season with cayenne, fresh thyme and tabasco. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve with a bed of white rice with minced scallion and parsley on top.

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