Braden Family Cookbook

Chuck Braden

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GUMBO            New Orleans School of Cooking

I took a half day cooking class here in 1999 and really like this gumbo!

1 cup peanut oil

1 chicken, boned and cut up into1 inch chunks, remove skin if you want to

1 ½ pounds andouille sausage, cut into ½ inch slices

1 cup all purpose flour

4 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped green pepper

1 TBSP. chopped garlic

8 cups stock (hot)

2 cups chopped green onions

cooked rice

Joe’s Stuff Seasoning (optional)

Filé^[1]

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken pieces over medium heat.  Add sausage pieces to pot and sauté with chicken.

Make a roux with the peanut oil and flour.  Cook over moderately low heat until the color you want.  I suggest right around peanut butter color is best.  Rule states that one cup of roux is about the right amount for 8 - 10 cups of stock being used in the gumbo.  Add onions, celery and bell pepper.  This causes the roux to stop getting darker.  Cook for a few minutes until vegetables are soft.  Add garlic and cook for just a minute.  Return chicken and sausage to the pot and stir together with the vegetables for a minute or two.  Gradually stir in the hot stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add the green onions.  Serve gumbo over rice or without rice, accompanied by French or other crusty bread.

If doing a seafood gumbo, add it the last five minutes of cooking.  If adding okra, do so in the last 10 minutes.  You can sauté okra pieces or use frozen okra to reduce the stickiness!