South Louisiana Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (No Okra!)

Missy Wright's Note:

Growing up in Louisiana, My momma called her version of this the poor mans gumbo. I have taken the liberty to make a few changes, such as using boneless-skinless chicken breasts instead of the whole chicken. Be careful with the Roux, if it burns you best start all over. It will get smoky in the kitchen, so be sure to open a few windows. This recipe takes some time but it is well worth it. If you have any left overs, this is something that is better the second day. Freezes well too.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

For the Roux

• 3 tablespoons bacon grease
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For Gumbo

• 1 bunch green onion, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 hot peppers, diced (any hot peppers will work, I use jalapenos)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• hot sauce (optional)
• 6 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 lb beef smoked sausage, sliced into bite size pieces
• 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning

Directions:

1. For the Roux.
2. Heat bacon grease in large skillet.
3. Add flour when melted.
4. The mixture should be liquidy, If not add a bit more bacon grease.
5. Stir mixture constantly over a med-high heat, be careful not to scorch.
6. Stir until the mixture is the color of peanut butter.
7. For Gumbo.
8. Add chopped vegetables to roux in skillet, stir and allow to cook until onions are clear.
9. Meanwhile in a large sauce pan, warm 3 cans of broth.
10. Once onions are clear, stir in one can of broth, stir until smooth.
11. Add roux mixture to saucepan of broth.
12. Use the roux skillet for the chicken,cook sausage and chicken until chicken is no longer pink, add to broth.
13. Pour the 2 remaining cans of broth into the skillet, bring to a boil, stirring, cleaning the remaining roux and the flavors from the skillet.
14. Add skillet broth to sauce pan.
15. Stir in Cajun seasonings and bouillon.
16. Let simmer on low for 2 hours.
17. Serve over cooked white rice.

Reviews

[Sams Mom]

This was absolutely wonderful!! My dh, who is from New Iberia, LA ate 3 helpings of this. He has bugged me to find a good gumbo recipe and now I know I have. He appreciates the fact that there is no okra in this and so do I because I have found okra to be slimy. Thank you Melissa for this keeper!

[Suzanne Metz]

This is the best tasting GUMBO I have ever had!! I personally do not like okra and don't see what the big deal is with the above two comments made. I lived in Louisiana for several years and had been served GUMBO without okra on several occations. I highly recommend this recipe especially for those who don't particualarly care for the green slimy vegetable!

[Missy Wright]

I was raised in Louisiana as well and gumbo is something made with a roux and some sort of meat. You do not necessarily have to have okra in it for it to be gumbo. You can go to any fine resturant or in fact any Good cajun resturant and find there is not okra in the gumbo. Mulate's in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana makes some of the finest gumbo around and there is no okra in it at all. It is all a matter of personal choice. My mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are all Louisiana natives as I am, and for 4 generations back, okra was never used in any of our gumbo.