CHEATER'S GUMBO

The notes on this are not mine.

CHEATER'S GUMBO

1 16 oz. jar of Savoie's dark roux
1- 2 cooked hickory smoked chickens, depending on the size. You want to have about a 3.5 lb chicken, no less. (get the chicken from a bbq restaurant or a grocery store. Do not get a mesquite or other smoked
flavor.)
1 lb. andouille or good quality hickory smoked sausage. Savioe's andouille works very well.
2.5 quarts of chicken broth*** or water ***I use Swanson's. Some of the others have a funny taste and too much salt.
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
1 cup chopped white onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 green onions, whites and green tops, chopped

In a large pot, which holds at least 5 quarts or more, add the chicken broth or water and bring to a slow simmer. Don't simmer too high as the broth will reduce some and you may have to add more. Pull
the bones from the chickens and put them in the water to simmer. Do not use the ones which might be too small to find when you remove them, like the little ones in the breast.

In a cast iron skillet, add the roux and the salt and red pepper. Heat on low. Do not let roux pop on you. It can really burn. Stir often while heating. Add the chopped vegetables, except for the garlic. Stir well and heat to a low simmer, so that the vegetables cook down a bit and soften. Turn down heat or turn it off when
vegetables are nice and soft.

Tear or chop the chicken meat into bite sized pieces, discarding the skin and fat. Set aside. Chop the sausage into bite size pieces. Set aside.
Remove the bones from the stock. Make sure to get all of them out. Now, it's time to add the roux mixture. If the roux mixture is cooled, warm it up again and then add it to the simmering stock by large spoonfuls, stirring after each addition to dissolve, until you've added all of the roux mixture.

Add the sausage, chicken, and garlic to the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn of the heat and let sit for a few minutes. With a large spoon, remove any grease or oil which comes to the top. Don't worry if you pick up a little of the juices. After removing the oil, you can stir in the green onions. If you want, you can reserve some of them and sprinkle a few in the bowls for garnish. If your gumbo is thicker than you'd like, add a little warmed water or broth until it's the consistency you like. I always have an extra jar of Savoie's
available. If the gumbo is thinner than you like, add a few more tablespoons of roux. Write your changes down and you'll have it perfect the next time you make it. Some people prefer thin gumbo and some like thick.

Serve the gumbo over rice. It's best if cooled and refrigerated and then served the next day. Gumbo is always better the next day.

Serves about 8-10 large gumbo bowls. You can look at your pot and see where the gumbo comes up on the pot and figure out how many quarts you have based on the size of the pot. Allow at least a 1.5 cups of
gumbo per serving, minimum and a little more for guys.