Chase the Blues with Chicago Style Gumbo

This recipe is an all day project. It’s what we call slow food. You can make it on your day off or any day if you are unemployed and still have grocery money.

THE STOCK
2 quarts water
2 medium yellow onions, with the skin
4 lbs of chicken
I used a whole fryer. You can substitute anything that swims or flies, i.e., duck, goose, alligator, catfish, bass, shrimp, craw fish, etc.
And a half pound of smoked Andouille sausage, thinly sliced

FOR THE ROUX
¼ cup cooking oil
¼ cup flour

THE VEGETABLES
4 cups okra, sliced
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium sweet green peppers, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
10-12 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

THE SPICES
3 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
A handful of fresh chopped flat parsley


STEP #1: Put the 2 quarts of water in a large stock pot and simmer the chicken and the onion—not the sausage—until tender. I usually simmer the chicken for about 1 hour while I chop the veggies and gathered the spices. If you use tender meat or fish such as catfish or bass, boil for only about 5 or 10 minutes or just long enough to convert the water to stock. The stock is as important as the meat, which will be added near the end of the cooking process. If you cook fish too long, it will fall apart.

STEP #2: Remove the pot from the fire, save the stock, and strain out the chicken/meat/fish and the onion set it aside so it will cool.

STEP #3
Return the now-empty pot to the fire and add 1/4 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, add the flour and whisk until a thick paste is formed. Closely watching the color of the flour. When the roux starts to darken, remove pot from stove.
STEP #4: Quickly add the veggies and the spices before the roux burns.
Stir the mix for about until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

Note: Add only 1 cup of okra with the veggies. Save the other 2 cups to add with the meat. The 1 cup will cook to pieces and thicken the brew. The 2 cups added later will remain somewhat whole.

STEP #5: Add the tomatoes and tomato paste
STEP #6: Add the stock, all of it. Then lower the heat and allow mixture to simmer at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

While you're waiting, debone the fish/fowl/meat. Throw away the bones, fat and the onion skins. Tear the meat into bite size chunks.

Now, while the next 2 hours pass and the pot simmers and all of those different flavors combine and react with each other, I'd pop the top on a cold beer if I were you, and I'd sit back and relax and I'd wonder about the meaning of life .

Ready to Simmer The Last Hour
STEP #7: After 2 hours of the pot simmering and you relaxing or cleaning or napping, add the chunks of chicken, the thinly sliced Andouille sausage, and the remaining 2 cups of okra.

Simmer for one more hour, stirring occasionally. By now you'll probably be famished, but wait that hour–you'll be glad you did. You may need to add a little water during that last, long hour.

Serve with rice, a dash or 2 of genuine "Big Legged Mama’s Hot Sauce"® sauce, a chunk of white onion, a jalapeno or 2, and some homemade cornbread. Chase it with ice cold beer or dry white wine.