New Orleans Style Gumbo

After returning from Disneyland and craving some gumbo from the Orleans Cafe, I went on a hunt for a recipe to satisfy my cravings!  Granted, this may not be the easiest dinner out there as it takes a long time to brown the roux.  It. Is. Worth. The. Time.  Seriously!  What is the saying...the secret ingredient is love?!  I say the secret ingredient to many recipes is TIME, which I think equals LOVE. So, next time you are craving some Southern comfort food or want to host a Mardi Gras party...make this.  It is soooo worth it! Enjoy :)

New Orleans Style Gumbo

For the Roux:

1 heaping cup flour
2/3 cup oil

For the Gumbo:
1 whole bunch/stock celery, diced, leaves and all
1 green pepper, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 bunch of green onion, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
1-2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
6-8 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 Andouille Sausage, sliced into "coins" (substitute Polska Kielbasa if you can't find a good Andouille)
Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken*
2 cups cooked Shrimp
Cooked white rice, for serving


For the Roux*:
In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience--when it's finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, "cookie dough" like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.

In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.

Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot. Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, and roux to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.

At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking--salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe's stuff or more chicken broth--until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)

Notes

*You can make the roux a day or two in advance to cut down on prep time!

*The best way to make this gumbo is by buying a rotisserie chicken--removing all the chicken, and using the carcass to make homemade chicken stock. Then make the gumbo using the homemade broth. You could use store-bought chicken broth, but homemade is way better! 

Recipe Source: Tastes Better From Scratch