Serves 6
- 3 good size boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound smoked sausage, andouille is best if you can find it, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 long hot peppers, chopped fine
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 2 cups fresh chopped okra (or10 ounces frozen chopped okra)
- 1 14oz can of kidney beans
- 2 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup oil
- Cajun seasoning (can be found on the spice shelves in most grocery stores)
Chop all of the vegetables first and set aside. If you plan on adding the onions, peppers and celery to the roux, chop them fine. If you are going to add it to the stew pot later, you can chop them coarsely.
Make the roux by putting the oil in a cast iron skillet. Don't use a pan with a non-stick surface for this. Heat the oil on a medium high setting until it is smoking hot. As soon as the oil is hot enough, slowly stir in the flour and start stirring with a whisk--and don't stop stirring until the roux is finished. Be very careful as you stir. Roux, called Cajun napalm, is extremely hot and it sticks to you and keeps on burning. If you notice any black flecks in the roux as you are stirring, stop and throw the whole thing away, wash the pan and utensils and start again. There is no way to rescue a burnt roux. Making roux will take about one hour of your close attention. The roux will change from a peanut-butter shade to a dark chocolate color. You may need to regulate your burner as you cook. If the roux starts to get darker than a peanut-butter color before a half an hour has passed, turn your heat down or remove the pan from the heat and stir constantly until you have it back under control.
As soon as the roux has reached a nice chocolate color, remove the pan from the heat and stir in all the vegetables except the okra and the green onions. This will stop the browning process and make the stew taste great.
While you are making the roux, slowly cook the sausage in a cast iron fry pan.
In a large stew pot, add smoked sausage, chicken stock, kidney beans, tomatoes, thyme, salt, and vegetables, except the okra. Bring to a boil. And add the finished roux by spoonfuls, stirring until it is dissolved. Reduce to a simmer and add the garlic.
Cut the chicken breasts up into mouth-size pieces and sprinkle a little Cajun spices and lightly sauté the chicken pieces on both sides until they begin to color. You just want to cook the chicken long enough to tighten the meat and seal in the juices. Add the chicken to the gumbo pot. In the same pan that you sautéed the chicken, toss in the okra and sauté until it softens and gets juicy. Then throw it into the gumbo pot. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes.
Add parsley and adjust seasoning to your taste. You might want to add a few drops of hot sauce or sprinkle in a little cayenne. Remember hot sauce and pepper intensifies as it cooks, so be conservative. Cajun cooking shouldn't burn your mouth. It's a wonderful heat with lots of subtle flavors.
Serve your gumbolaya in a bowl over a mound of rice. Toss the green onions on top of the gumbo before serving.