Gumbo: by me!

Part of our "Week of Soups" 

I am not Cajun, and I do not claim that I am a gumbo expert, by any means.  In fact, I've never even been to New Orleans.  But this is good stuff my friends, good stuff!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and then shredded

I season the chicken with creole seasoning and black pepper, brown them in a cast iron skillet for a couple of minutes on each side, and then put the pan in the oven @ 350 for about 15 minutes to cook the chicken.  This makes it really juicy, and it stays that way in the soups!  Rotisserie chicken works good too though!

4 links of Andouille sausage, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced up - I use Aidell's
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced - that's smaller than diced ;-)
1+ tablespoon Creole seasoning -

I use Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning or Tony Cacciatore's, as my mom calls it

1+ teaspoon dried thyme
1+ teaspoon gumbo filé powder* - it's essential folks!
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups chicken stock -  that's two boxes
16 oz package of frozen sliced okra
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes 
1/2 cup butter - that's one whole stick kids!
3/4 cup flour
White Rice for serving over
French Bread for dipping and mopping

Prep everything!!!  The roux is a pretty time consuming process, so you want to be able to throw everything else together while whisking with one hand.

Start the roux by melting the butter over medium heat in a small sauce pan or cast iron skillet; add the flour to the butter, and begin to whisk fairly continuously.  It'll start really thick, but you'll want to keep whisking until it becomes thin, and a dark tan color like below.  This takes about 30-45 minutes over medium to medium low heat.  You also have to be careful not to let the roux burn; you'll need to whisk almost constantly.  It's a pain in the ass.

Pay attention to the color near the whisk.  That's the good stuff.  
Stupid florescent lighting.

About 15 minutes after starting the roux, start the rest of the gumbo.  Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and celery in olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for 10 more minutes.  Throw in the sausage and all of the spices and saute for 5 more minutes.  Once the roux has reached the right consistency, stir it into the gumbo mixture and coat everything well.  

If the roux isn't ready when you get to this point, you can leave the mixture on low for a good little while.  This time, it took mine almost an hour because I had the heat a little too low.

Now whisk in the chicken stock slowly.  You'll want to do this slowly so the roux doesn't clump up.  Add the tomatoes and okra and stir everything together well.  Taste and adjust your spices - I usually add more creole seasoning, definitely some more gumbo filé powder, and maybe some chicken base or a bullion cube or two...

Bring the gumbo to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for about an hour.    Add the chicken and simmer for about 30 minutes more, stirring regularly and tasting/adjusting along the way. 

Serve over a big helping of white rice with a chunk of warm French bread!  And maybe a sprinkling more of gumbo filé powder!

This makes about 8 mug sized servings, so it's great for large groups or when you want to have lots o' leftovers. 

And yes, this is ridiculously time intensive and a lot of effort, but it is oh so worth it!  You'll get lots o' love for this one!!

P.S.  It's always better the next day - like spaghetti!

*Anytime there's a "guys" trip planned to New Orleans, Patterick reasons why he should go to me by explaining that if he goes to New Orleans, he'll get to bring me back more gumbo filé powder.  He was devastated when our local grocery started carrying it...