My Own Recipe - Good Eatin'!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

2 – 1 lb packages of Andouille or Kielbasa sausage

1 whole boiled chicken – deboned or 1-2 lbs of boiled chicken breasts (I prefer dark meat)

(you can add boiled shrimp if you wish, I like lots!)

1 or 2 bell peppers (green is fine, red adds color), chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped (don’t use too much of the green, it gets bitter)

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh garlic

2 -3 cups chopped celery

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (absolutely essential ingredient, can be found at Liquor Barn)

Gumbo Roux – 6 T’s if powdered (I buy powdered roux also made by Tony’ Chachere at Liquor Barn, but you can make your own roux with the recipe at the bottom)

1. Cut up all meat in bite sized pieces. I bring the sausage to a boil to melt off some fat, then drain and add a few shakes of Tony’s seasoning and put the lid back on and let that sit.

2. Wash and chop all vegetables.

3. Bring 2 – 3 quarts of water to a boil and stir in roux. Then reduce to a simmer.

4. Sautee vegetables in oil and butter, starting with garlic, then onions, then celery and bell peppers. Not too long so that they are still a bit crunchy.

5. Return roux and water to a boil, stir in sautéed vegetables and meat.

6. Gumbo is now ready to ladle over rice and enjoy with some seasoning added to taste!

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Roux is pretty simple, but has to be constantly attended to!

2 cups oil and 2 cups flower mixed in a pot with a thick bottom.

1. Stir constantly over low to medium heat until roux turns the color of hot chocolate. This takes a long time. Use a long wooden spoon to keep from burning your knuckles.

2. Mixture may occasionally become frothy, too much froth is a sign you have it too hot and are in danger of scorching.

3. When the roux is ready, you must SLOWLY mix it into BOILING water, stirring like crazy. Look out, water and hot oil don’t mix well. The roux should be slightly cooler than the boiling water when you mix it in.

This is why I use powdered roux. Much simpler.