my cajun chicken & sausage gumbo

How To Make my cajun chicken & sausage gumbo

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  Step 1
  The ROUX • Blend flour and oil thoroughly in a thick skillet and cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring CONSTANTLY. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT!! If you see black specks in the roux, you've screwed it up. Dump it out and start over. Keep cooking and stirring until the roux gets darker and darker. It's best to use a very heavy pot or skillet for roux-making, especially cast iron. With a good cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, you can get a beautiful dark roux in only about 20 minutes. • You should turn the fire down or off as the roux nears the right color, because the heat from the pan will continue cooking it. You can also add your onions, bell peppers and celery to the roux as it's near the end of cooking to arrest the cooking process and to soften the vegetables (this is the way I like to do it). KEEP STIRRING until the roux is relatively cool.
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  Step 2
  The Gumbo • Add the roux to the stock. • Sprinkle the chicken pieces with Creole seasoning and brown in the skillet. • Slice the sausage and brown, sauté the onions, bell pepper and celery if you haven't already added them to the roux, and add to the stock. • Add the chicken and sausage(s). Add the okra Make sure that the "ropiness" or "stringiness" from the okra is gone, ( I like to cook by Okra in a separate pan with a bit of cooking oil to get out the "ropiness". • Add the bay leaves and Creole seasoning to taste and stir. • Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer; let simmer for about 60 minutes. Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings as needed. I let my gumbo cook down a couple of hours I like a thick gumbo so I let it cook down a lot • Serve generous amounts in bowls rice • You may, if you like, sprinkle a small amount of gumbo filé in your individual serving for a little more flavor.
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