Gumbo
A rich stew to warm your soul
Traditional Louisiana gumbo is one big, hot, delicious mess of tantalising flavours. Ingredients can vary – it’s usually made up of chicken, smoked sausage and prawns, and anything else that takes your fancy – but it’s always based on the Cajun vegetable holy trinity: celery, peppers and onion. This is soul food at its best – amen to that.
Where to find it
Colonel Tom’s Gumbo; various
Chef Tom got involved with the street food revolution in a bid to introduce the London food scene to the deeply satisfying flavours of the American South. @coloneltoms
The Bayou Soul; 20 Inverness St, NW1 7HJ
An all day Creole-style bar and kitchen in Camden, with an unmissable blues brunch at the weekend. @BayouCamden
Paella
A freestyled rice dish crammed with treats
There's not much better than the intensely gratifying flavours found in Spain's national dish. It's most familiar to us here in Britain with a healthy dose of seafood, although according to Valencian tradition, chicken and rabbit are the only two mandatory additions to the rice base – with snails as an optional extra. How you know you're on to a good'un? Properly cooked, the rice at the bottom should form a deliciously crisp layer known as socarrat.
Where to find it
Jamon Jamon; Portobello Market
A stall that sources all its ingredients from its neighbours. You can’t get more local than that. @jamonjamon
Hola Paella; various
This Spanish café cooks the paella in enormous pans in front of diners for an authentic Mediterranean vibe. @HolaPaella
Street Food Fight: Paella vs gumbo
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