Serves 8
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. all purpose flour
3 celery stocks, chopped
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 c. good chicken stock
1 lbs. andouille sausage, cut in pieces
2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into pieces or a mix of thighs and breasts
1 bag frozen okra
2 tsp. file powder
freshly cooked basmati rice
To make the roux, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until almost smoking. Add flour and stir until dark brown, about 10-15 minutes. The mixture should be the color of chocolate syrup. Immediately add the celery, onion and green pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan. Mix in bay leaves, salt, oregano, and cayenne. Add broth, sausage, and chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30-40 minutes until chicken and sausage and cooked. Add okra and cook until tender about 15 minutes, but do not overcook the okra. Before serving sprinkle file powder into the pot and stir.
To serve, mound the rice in a large bowl and ladle gumbo on top. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.
Variations:
In place of chicken, this gumbo can be made with shrimp. You will need about 2 lbs. of uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined. Add shrimp to the gumbo and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
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