Cajun Chicken Stew

rouxdog's Note:

A simple chicken stew from Cajun Country. Momma made this once a week. Real Cajun food.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾-1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion , diced
• 2 stalks celery , diced
• 2 cloves garlic , finely chopped
• 1 bell pepper , diced
• 2 lbs chicken , cut,rinsed,and dried
• 2 cups chicken stock or 1 can low sodium chicken broth
• water
• 1 bunch parsley
• salt
• black pepper
• red pepper
• olive oil (optional - not for roux)

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste (The chicken can be marinated in olive oil and black pepper overnight. Add salt last minute if marinated) Make a dark roux- In a heavy iron skillet (prefer cast-iron), heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
2. Add the flour.
3. With a wooden spoon, stir constantly and thouroughly, until the flour mixture reached an even chocolate color, about 15 minutes (black flecks means it's burned and will be bitter. Start over).
4. Carefully add the onions, celery and Bell pepper.
5. Stir constantly for 60 seconds.
6. Add Garlic, stir to mix, and add the chicken.
7. Stir to coat the chicken with the roux mixture.
8. CAREFULLY and slowly, add the chicken stock.
9. Chicken mixture can be transferred to a larger pot at this point. A Dutch oven is recommended.
10. Cover the chicken with water, bring to a boil.
11. Place the lid on the pot, reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes.
12. Stir occasionally, Sauce should be thickened.
13. Just before serving, add chopped parsley to taste, season with salt and red pepper to taste.
14. Serve over hot white rice.
15. Hint: For saving leftovers, store the rice and the sauce in seperate containers.
16. This prevents the rice from getting soggy.

Reviews

[Cypress]

i made this tonight for dinner. i didn't have any celery, or red peppers. i wasn't sure if i really made it right, since i felt like it was bland. so i ended up adding some spices in - cayenne, paprika, oregano, along with some crushed red pepper flakes. i also added a little chicken bouillon to boost the flavor of the chicken broth that's in the sauce. all in all it's pretty good.

[Sunshine Forever]

This was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as written and was very pleased. My gravy was a nice rich brown, the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the spices perfect for my crew. It is also a safe dish for my grandchild with soy, egg, peanut and shellfish allergies. This will be a regular dish in our home.

[mightyro_cooking4u]

Very good. The only I omitted was the celery, because I didn't have any, otherwise I made as was. I also cut the recipe in half. Made for Cajun/Creole Event.