Gumbo with Andouille and Stewing Hen

Ingredients:

• 1 Stewing Hen (aka Soup Chicken) or 1 package Necks & Backs or leftover chicken carcass
• Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
• 1/2 to 1 pound Andouille sausage, chopped
• 2 cups okra
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 3 pods garlic, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 3 Tbsp fat or oil
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup stock
• Shrimp, oysters, crab (optional)

Cook chicken in water with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper until tender. Remove meat from bone in slivers. Save stock. Leftover turkey, ham or duck carcass also works instead of chicken. In a large pot, saute sausage. Remove sausage from pot and saute okra, bell pepper, garlic, onion, bay leaves, basil and thyme in sausage drippings. Stir frequently to prevent burning or sticking. When tender, add tomatoes that have been pureed in blender or finely chopped. Let this simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken and stock. Let gumbo mixture simmer.

Make the roux in a separate (cast iron if possible) pan. Heat fat or oil over medium heat until it is just about to smoke. Add flour, stirring constantly . It should take 3 to 5 minutes to turn dark brown. Take care not to burn. When the roux is done, remove from heat an let cool for 15 minutes. Slowly add 1 cup on hot stock., stirring so it won't lump. Add this to the gumbo.

The optional shrimp, crab and oysters can also be added at this point if desired.

Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 hours. Serve over rice. If the okra is not used, sprinkle 1 tsp of file in each bowl after the gumbo has been served.

Serves 12.

Adapted from the River Road Recipes II cookbook.