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| Chicken and sausage gumbo |
Here's how I made gumbo for Mardi gras this year:
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| Start with the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables: onion, pepper and celery. |
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| After sauteing for several minutes, they should look translucent like this. |
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| Remove the vegetables and add chopped andouille sausage. |
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| Brown the sausage and then remove them from the pan. |
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| Chicken goes in next- cook on medium high heat and turn the breasts frequently. |
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| I sprinkled some Cajun seasoning on the chicken before cooking it, so it ended up with a little bit of crust on the outside. |
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| Cooking the roux: after the chicken is removed from the pan, add a few tablespoons of flour to the pan drippings. If you want to be really authentic about it, cook the roux for thirty minutes. I only cooked mine for fifteen because I think any longer than than and it starts to smell and taste a little burnt. |
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| Next, add three cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. |
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| Add the sausage, chicken and vegetables back to the pot. |
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| Reduce heat and let this simmer for at least half an hour. |
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| Finally, add seasonings like parsley, cajun spices and salt/pepper. |
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| Meanwhile, prepare some brown rice. I use a rice cooker because after making rice in a pan on the stove for years, I discovered that rice cookers make nearly perfect rice every time. They are miracle appliances. |
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| Finished product: chicken and sausage gumbo |
From start to finish, it takes about three hours to make gumbo. It is definitely a labor of love but is so flavorful and delicious you've got to try it at least once. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
TSB
