This okra gumbo puts a vegetal twist on the classic Southern dish. With the addition of matzo balls (see matzo ball recipe), it is a perfect dish for the Passover Seder.
Food historian Marcie Cohen Ferris serves as the inspiration behind these combination recipes. Her 2010 book, “Matzoh Ball Gumbo,” explores the food traditions of Southern Jews, including the influence of black Southerners and black women in particular. Not so much a fusion as an homage to flavors, this matzo ball gumbo helps preserve those little-known food stories of the Deep South and highlights culinary traditions that span across the African and Jewish diasporas. You can compare it to Jamaican soup and dumplings or Ghanaian omo tuo. Make the matzo balls first so they have time to rest while you prepare the gumbo.
The gumbo recipe calls for potato starch instead of flour, which requires additional stirring, but thickens to form a golden brown, nutty roux. Chicken broth and diced tomatoes give the finished gumbo its umami, with a blend of Creole spices providing a subtle but lingering spiciness.
