Chicken-Tasso-Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1 pound andouille smoked
• 1 teaspoon pepper black
• 2 large rib celery stalks chopped
• 128 oz chicken broth 
• 4 pounds chicken thighs 
• 20 servings rice hot cooked
• 1.5 teaspoons thyme dried
• 1 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup parsley fresh chopped
• 4 large garlic clove minced
• 2 large bell pepper green chopped
• 20 servings spring onion sliced
• 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper red
• 4 medium onion chopped
• 1 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 pound ham smoked

Equipment

• paper towels
• whisk
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Cut first 3 ingredients into bite-size pieces.
2. Place in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, 20 minutes or until browned.
3. Drain on paper towels. Wipe out Dutch oven with paper towels.
4. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat; gradually whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 25 minutes or until mixture is a dark mahogany.
5. Stir in onions and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring often, 18 to 20 minutes or until tender. Gradually add broth. Stir in chicken, sausage, tasso, thyme, and black and red ground peppers.
6. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in parsley.
7. Remove from heat; serve over hot cooked rice.
8. Garnish, if desired.
9. Shrimp-Tasso-Andouille Sausage Gumbo: Omit chicken thighs and proceed with Steps 1, 2, and Proceed with Step 4, stirring in 4 lb. medium-size raw shrimp, peeled and, if desired, deveined, the last 15 minutes of cooking.
10. Philip Elliott, Baton Rouge, Louisiana