As the weather starts to cool, we start to crave spicy, warm soup and stew. Usually I make chili or vegetable soup, but tonight I am making gumbo for a change.
I am using chicken and stock I made yesterday, by browning onions, peppers and celery in olive oil, adding 6-8 chicken thighs, letting the chicken brown, adding water and broth to make 6-8 cups and 3 chicken bullion cubes. Let this all simmer till the chicken is very tender, remove chicken, strain broth and let all cool. Clean up and chop the chicken meat, and refrigerate all overnight. The next day you can skim the fat from the broth when you are ready to use it.
Heat a little oil in a big pan and brown sliced or chopped smoked sausage in it. Remove the sausage and drain. In the same pan, heat about a cup of oil, adding an equal amount of flour a little at a time. Cook on low heat till just a little lighter than chocolate syrup, about 25 minutes. (This is a roux and is used to thicken the gumbo) Most recipes will call for onions, bell peppers and celery at this point, but I used those to cook the chicken because no one in my house will eat them. I usually add some chopped carrots, potatoes, peas to make this a little more of a stew than traditional gumbo, cook till the veggies are just starting to soften, stir in the sausage, and a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. Add about 6 cups of chicken stock, stirring until well blended. Add the chopped chicken, bring to a boil and simmer till everything is done.
Serve over rice, with a side of cornbread. Yummy at game time on a chilly night.
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