Gumbo

Cut the chicken thighs into 2–3 cm pieces, slice the andouille sausage into 1 cm rounds, and slice the okra into 1–1.5 cm rounds. Dice the onion, celery, red and green bell pepper finely, and mince the garlic.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and stir constantly with a wooden spatula for 25–30 minutes, until the roux turns the color of dark chocolate or roasted peanuts — don't step away from the stove, as flour burns easily.

Add the onion, celery and bell pepper to the roux and cook for 8–10 minutes until the vegetables soften, then stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Pour in the hot chicken stock in a thin stream, stirring constantly so the roux dissolves without lumps. Add the bay leaf, thyme and cayenne pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the chicken and andouille sausage, cover and simmer for 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally; meanwhile, cook the rice separately in salted water until done.

Add the okra and cook for another 15–20 minutes, until the gumbo thickens and the okra turns tender. Remove the bay leaf and season the gumbo with salt and black pepper to taste.

Spoon a mound of cooked rice onto each plate, ladle the hot gumbo over it, and garnish with sliced green onion before serving.