Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

 Recipe From: Laura

A couple months ago, Logan had a class science trip to McCall for the week. While there, I discovered a cute lil restaurant, Frenchie’s on 3rd-- a New Orleans style cuisine--true soul food with rustic fare.  Let’s just say they had me at gumbo! Mmmmm Mmmmm..… I thought I died & went to heaven. That bowl of gumbo was sooo incredibly delicious that I ended up having two!  It inspired me to find a scrumptious gumbo recipe to cozy up with on a chilly winter evening.  Now I know what you’re thinking.  Oh my goodness, Laura’s recipes are always a mile long.  I know precious, I know! But just go with it. You’ll thank me lata.  😊 LOL   We enjoyed every last drop of this yummeeness.  Kids went for seconds & thirds---even with the new found okra.

 A few modifications--We left out the shrimp....sooo not a fan. But hey! Totally add it in if that’s your heart’s desire.  Also, chunky soup is no bueno for us.  In a blender, I pulsed the cooked veggies and okra in a lil broth to desired texture, about 5 seconds  then added it back into the soup-—less conspicuous that way. 😊  Salt is key in this recipe since it REALLY enhanced the flavors.  Salt to your own taste buds.  Served this amazing gumbo over rice and topped with a sprinkling of green onions. 

 This is a crockpot recipe (or at least it can be) However, it’s not your typical toss- n -go crockpot recipe.  It takes about 10 min. or so to conjure up the  deep brown roux that gives gumbo part of its flavor & richness.  Getting a kid or two involved in the continual stirring of the roux while you get the other ingredients together will help the process go faster.

 Food for thought……. if you have any leftovers the next day, you could always make the Bear Lake Sloppy Jo Jo’s which calls for gumbo. 😊

Ingredients:

10 oz andouille sausage, sliced into pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped green peppers

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped white onion 

3 garlic cloves

2 cups frozen chopped okra

14.5 oz diced tomatoes 

24 oz chicken broth

1 pound skinless chicken breasts

1 pound raw shrimp-- optional 

Spices:

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon + ½ tsp Creole Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional for spicy)

Salt and pepper to taste-- I save this for the end and when the dish is fully cooked. This is key since it REALLY enhances all the wonderful flavors.  Add a lil at a time. Taste & adjust as necessary.

Instructions

Add the sliced sausage to a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.

Add the butter and olive oil to the pan on medium heat. While it melts add the flour in 3 phases. Add the first phase and whisk. Add the second phase, and so on. Continue to stir until the roux turns deep brown. It should turn brown within several minutes of stirring. This is the most important step of the recipe and it requires patience. If you stop stirring before it reaches deep brown, it will cake up and/or burn.

Add the green peppers, celery, and onions to the roux. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the veggies are soft.

Add all of the spices, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the roux and stir.

Add the roux and vegetables to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and okra. Stir.

Place the chicken breasts and cooked sausage in the slow cooker.

Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook for 3-4 hours on High or 7-8 hours on Low.  Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred.

Add the raw shrimp and shredded chicken to the slow cooker.

Cook for a few minutes until the shrimp turns bright pink.  Serve over rice.