Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
How is everyone this fine Saturday evening? Paul and I are sitting here watching LSU vs West Virginia. It’s a great game, but I’m so scared that LSU is going to give it up this 2nd half!
Paul and I went to the movies yesterday afternoon. Wall Street came out and Paul has been waiting on it. I think we were both disappointed. I mean there was a fun surprise in it, Bud Fox. The movie had so much potential but it just never delivered. Another movie we wanted to go see is “Still Waiting on Superman”. However, it isn’t showing around here anywhere. Tomorrow, we hope to take the kids to see the “The Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”. Matthew and Jamie have been so looking forward to seeing it. We’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings.
It got really chilly here today. I don’t think it even made it up to 60 degree. Probably hung in there at 58. We went up to a craft fair and I wore a sweatshirt but I wore capri pants and flip flops. I froze. Yeah just can’t quite let go of summer yet. I am a total flip-flops girl. When we got home, I went and put on my flannel jammies and started my gumbo:) Perfect day for it;) I also baked some brownies (I’ll share those with you later on). They turned out really good too:) I have to admit, I made Paul … or WAS making Paul potato soup because he’s not a gumbo person. I didn’t have button mushrooms on hand so I used the cremini ones I had. *sighs* I don’t know. They didn’t smell bad in the package but when I started cooking them down in butter, it had a weird, almost fishy(??) smell. I haven’t used cremini before so we weren’t sure if that was just the way they smelled. I got it all put together and the soup color was kinda grey. Paul took a taste and … yeah.. well… he ate gumbo tonight:) I don’t know what happened. Maybe it was the mushrooms because I’ve made potato soup a gazillion times before and that’s the only thing I did differently this time. I’m waiting for it to cool so I can throw it out. Anyway, yall have a great weekend. Hope you get a chance to try this gumbo:) Enjoy!!
GEAUX TIGERS!!
OK, HERE’S What You Need:
1 whole cut up chicken
1 pound of good smoked sausage – I use smoke polish sausage because I can’t get andouille up here
1 pkg frozen onions or 1 pkg frozen season blend (the one with like onions, bellpepper etc)
big stock pot
parsley (flat leaf)
1 bunch green onions
roux (1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup oil)
cooked white rice
HERE’S What You Do:
First, you make a roux:) 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour in an iron skillet. You really don't have to have an iron skillet I guess, but I've never made it in anything else;)
Blend together on medium heat. Stir often.
It's getting there. This is kinda the roux's "ugly stage". Don't walk away at this point. Stir almost constantly from here.
Almost there, keep stirring.
Done! Kind of looks like melted chocolate doesn't it?:)
You could actually start this part while you're making your roux. Fill your stock pot about half full of water. Bring to a boil.
Once your roux is done and your water comes to a boil, CAREFULLY put your roux into your water. PLEASE be careful here because it will flash boil on you and burn the heck out of you (you know hot oil into water and all!) Once you get your roux stirred in, put your pkg of frozen onions or seasoning blend in at this point. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
While you're waiting, wash your chicken parts. I really only use the legs, thighs and breasts. Season them well. Salt, pepper, garlic powder... Tony's is good too. Drop the pieces into your pot and let cook for about 15 minutes.
Sanitize!! Don't want none of that Salmonella thankyouverymuch!!
Once you have your area cleaned, slice up your sausage and drop into your pot. Continue cooking for at least an hour. Yeah, not a quick dish really but so worth the wait:)
***I debone my chicken right before the next step. You don’t have too, but to me, it makes it so much easier to eat:)
About 15 - 20 minutes before you plan on serving, cut up your parsley and green onions and throw on over into the pot. Make sure you've got your rice cooker on because you are almost done:)
Give it another good stir and you're ready to eat:) Put you some rice in a bowl and ladle over with plenty of broth and lots of good chicken and sausage:) Ca C'est Bon!:)
***Remember too, when you go to refrigerate your leftovers, do NOT put your rice into your gumbo. Store it separately. I put mine into a big old ziploc and microwave it that way the next day. Even better the next day!
