Shanna's Chicken Thighs Sausage Gumbo
Canola oil, for the chicken
1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 lrg onion, chopped medium
2 x celery branches, chopped medium
1 x green bell pepper, chopped medium
1/2 lb okra, tops removed and cut into small bite size pieces
1/2 lb smoked sausage, such as Andouille or Kielbasa, cut crosswise into
1/2-inch slices
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Zaterans Creole seasoning
6 cup water
Knorr vegetable bouillon, chopped
To finish:
2 tbl chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tbl file powder
Method :
A "Gumbo" must have okra in it to be a real Gumbo.
The name of this stew is Acadian. When a street in Louisiana(in the 1800s) was
full of deep of thick mud, they called that mud "gumbo".
So, when okra is cooked in a stew, it thickens the stew into a thick muddy
texture.
Heat a large cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat. Get yourself a Round Dutch
Oven (13-qt.) by Le Creuset. You'll never buy anything like it again and you'll
cook "everything" in it! Add some canola oil to barely cover the
bottom. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken. Brown it very well on all
sides. Remove the chicken and let the pot cool to the touch.
Add the butter to the pot over a medium heat. When it is all melted add the
flour. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 minutes, make a dark brown roux,
the color of chocolate. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to
stir for 5 minutes until wilted. Add the sausage, okra, salt, Zaterans, and
Knorr vegetable bouillon. Continue to stir for 2 minutes. Add the water. Stir
until the roux mixture and water are well combined. Bring to a boil, add the
chicken then reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. For serving. Sprinkle a
little parsley, green onions, and file powder on to the Gumbo. Remove the bay
leaves and serve over plain rice.