Cajun Classic

Here it is, the definitive Cajun recipe...this one in particular was adapted from a couple of different recipes that I collected from my family in Louisiana. Now, I don't know how you do your gumbo, but we use okra, tomatoes, and chicken.

-----

Chicken Gumbo

1 large chicken, roasted and cooled.
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 quarts water
2 pounds andouille sausage
1 cup flour
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large onions
2 bell peppers
4 stalks celery
8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato puree
2 pounds fresh okra, chopped
2 tsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bundle of scallions (green onions)
2/3 cups fresh chopped parsley
Steamed rice
Fillé to taste

The day before:
Roast the chicken if necessary. (I purchase the chicken already roasted from the grocery store deli.) Debone the chicken, and place the skin and bones in a large stock pot. Chop and refrigerate the chicken meat.

Make a stock from the chicken bones: Chop the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Refrigerate the vegetables, and throw the end pieces and tops in the stock pot with the chicken bones.

Add 3 quarts of water to the stock pot. Simmer for two hours, then strain the stock through a cheesecloth. Discard bones and vegetable ends, and refrigerate the stock overnight. Ladel off the fat before using.

Making the roux:
Cook the oil and flour in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a dark reddish brown color (about 45 minutes). The darker you cook it, the richer it will taste...but the easier it will burn. Watch it carefully while cooking. It should be dark brown, not black...if it turns black or develops black specks, you have burned it and will have to start over.

Making the gumbo:
While cooking the roux, remove the chicken stock from the refrigerator and skim off the fat. Place the stock pot on the stove and bring the broth to a full boil.

When the roux is cooked to the desired color, immediately add the chopped celery, onions, and peppers. Stir quickly. This not only cooks the vegetables, but it stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.

Pour the roux and vegetable mixture into the boiling stock. (Be careful, it will burn you if it splatters.) Add the tomatoes and tomato puree, and return the mixture to a boil.

Chop the chicken meat and sausage into bite-sized chunks, and add them to the gumbo. Chop the okra, mince the garlic, and crumble the bay leaves, and add these to the gumbo along with the thyme, Tabasco, and Creole seasoning. Return the gumbo to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.

Remove from heat, and (this is important:) refrigerate overnight for the flavors to marry.

Serving the gumbo:
Return the gumbo to the stove. Ladel off the fat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then add the chopped scallions (tops only) and the fresh parsley. Cook five minutes. Serve over rice in large, shallow bowls. Serve with a good beer and lots of hot French bread.