Mary's Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken
• 3 onions
• 8 stalks celery
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 4 T creole seasoning
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 3 T crushed garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
• 4 cups cooked rice (start with 2 cups raw rice)

Preparation

1. Boil chicken in water seasoned with 1 onion (quartered) and 4 whole stalks celery, salt, pepper and 2 T creole seasoning. Cook until tender (about 1 hour), reserve broth. Cool chicken and debone.


2. Sauté sausage in pan for a few minutes.


3. Make roux. Mix flour and oil in 4-cup glass measuring cup and microwave for 6-7 minutes, uncovered. At 6 minutes, stir. Roux will be light brown. Cook for additional 30-seconds to 1-minute intervals to achieve dark, pecan color. Carefully add 4 stalks chopped celery, 2 chopped onions, garlic and chopped bell pepper. Stir. Microwave on high for 2 more minutes.


4. Put roux back into big pot. Slowly add reserved chicken broth (about 2-3 quarts), bay leaves and 2 T creole seasoning.


5. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours. Before serving, add chicken and sausage back to pot and let that cook with it for 30 minutes or more. You don’t want to add the meats too early or they will cook too much.


6. Serve in a bowl over hot cooked rice.