Cajun Vacation

Gumbo

Amber and I love to travel! Nothing makes us happier than experiencing new things and places, be it BBQ on Beale Street or Italian food in Cleveland's Little Italy, we're up for almost anything, anytime and anywhere. Alas, as many couples experience, our schedules and the kids can make it difficult to get out of town. One of our favorite places to visit is New Orleans and we consistently romanticize about our next trip to the Vieux Carre. To help alleviate cabin fever, I decided to make one of our favorite dishes when we do visit, gumbo.  

Patience is an absolute must for this recipe. It takes hours to develop the deep, rich flavor that only slow cooking can provide, but the end result is well worth your labor. Years ago when Emeril Live! was still on the air, Mr. Lagasse said that the amount of time it takes to make the roux is "two beers." This recipe is adapted from Emeril's. I strongly suggest prepping all of your ingredients ahead of time so that you can concentrate on developing flavor. This recipe is so good that even though it makes enough for 6 people, it was gone the next day between the two of us. Serve over steamed rice garnished with parsley, green onion and/or hot sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3 bay leaves

6 cups chicken broth

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon file powder

4 cups steamed rice

Directions:

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast iron or enameled cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisking slowly and constantly for about 30 minutes until the roux becomes the color of chocolate. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to whisk for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves and stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir until the roux mixture and stock are well combined. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Season the chicken with cajun seasoning and add to pot. Simmer for 2 more hours. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley, green onions, and file powder. Remove the bay leaves and serve over steamed rice. Garnish with green onion, parsley, and/or hot sauce.