One-pot, multiple ingredients, and a chicken stew recipe that’s nothing like the usual stews – that’s gumbo for you. Or specifically, Creole-style chicken gumbo that uses a heavy base of tomatoes and roux to make a thick, aromatic, and flavourful dish. Before diving into the ingredients and culinary techniques, understand what gumbo is. Gumbo is an American stew — the New Orleans version is even the official state cuisine of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Essentially, gumbo combines meat or shellfish with flavoured stock, a thickener, and the Creole "holy trinity": celery, bell peppers, and onions. While a Creole gumbo typically includes shellfish, the version here uses chicken instead. Another version uses both chicken and sausages. It’s not your typical chicken stew recipe, even though it falls in the broader category of stews. Usually paired with rice, gumbo is meant to have leftovers; in fact, people even believe it tastes better the next day, once the flavours have had more time to meld together, allowing the roux and spices to deepen. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. However, always store the rice separately or cook fresh. And reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring often, rather than nuking the whole pot, to prevent it from becoming too mushy.