GUMBO!

I'm so happy. It was cold enough to make gumbo today! Because our gumbo is the best I've ever had, I figured I would be nice and share it.

Gumbo (adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe)

6 pieces of chicken - we use thighs
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup plus 2T vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
1lb smoked sausage, sliced
5 cans chicken stock

Heat 2T oil in cast irondutch oven over med heat. Season chicken with salt/pepper and dust with 1/4 cup flour. Sear chicken until golden brown on each side about 2-3 mins. Remove and set aside. WARNING - this next part is called Cajun napalm! Heat the remaining oil in pot until smoking hot. Add flour and whisk smooth. Continue stirring until it gets as dark as you want. We like milk chocolate clor. Turn off heat and add vegetables. Stir off heat for 2 mins then turn to medium and stir 2 more mins. Add salt and cayenne, sausage and bay leaves. Keep stirring for 3-4 mins. Add stock. Stir until roux mixture and stock ad well combined. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to med-low. Cook uncovered for one hour, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and simmer for two hours. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Serve over rice.

We debone our chicken at the end and put back in the pot so it makes it easier to eat.

This is definitely something you need a lot of time for. We got a new non-stick stock pot and used that for all the steps after cooking the vegetables. Things fit better and it was less messy. You need to cook the roux in cast iron - do not try it anything else.

This turns out really thick and I know most gumbos are thinner. I like it this way. You don't need a lot to fill you up and you get lots of leftovers.

I took photos from my iPad but it isn't letting me load them here. So guess photos will have to wait until leftovers.

WOOHOO. Got the photo added.