Authentic New Orleans Style Shrimp & Chicken Gumbo

Source: CLEO TV

Chef Jernard takes a trip down memory lane with Chef Essie Bartels, sharing one of his favorite childhood dishes. He takes it back to a family recipe, shrimp and chicken gumbo, a recipe inspired by his father. He kicks up the flavor with cilantro rice. Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into strips
4 links Sausage cut into small, bite-sized pieces
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of all-purpose flour
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup of diced onion
1 bulb of garlic minced
1 whole green bell pepper seeds and stem removed, diced into bite-sized pieces
3 ribs of celery cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can of smoked Oysters
1 smoked turkey leg meat pulled off the bone
32 ounces chicken stock
20 shrimp 31-40 size, raw, deveined and shells off
2 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley diced
1 tablespoon gumbo filé
Salt to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

Begin by adding the oil to a large Dutch oven, or large enough pot to hold all these ingredients, factoring in the chicken stock. Once the oil is heated add in the chicken, and season with some salt and pepper. Cook the chicken on medium heat until both sides have browned, about 8 minutes or so.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a plate to cool.
Toss in the sausage and continue to brown that as well. The sausage will release a bit more fat, which is good, because we are going to use all of that to make a roux. Once the sausage has browned, remove it with a slotted spoon, and set it on a plate to cool.
Reduce the heat to medium low. Add two tablespoons of the unsalted butter to the pot, then toss in the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon, and continue to stir for about 8 minutes, or until the roux is a dark caramel color.
Bring the chicken stock up to heat in a separate pot. You want it nice and hot, and not necessarily boiling.
When you have achieved that dark roux, add in the garlic, onions, bell peppers, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
The mixture will look a bit gummy as the roux will stick to the vegetables. Don't worry about that, this is how it is supposed to look. Cook this for about 8 more minutes.
Add in the oysters sauce, and chicken stock. Give this a good stir and continue to stir until the roux is completely dissolved into the stock.
Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and sausage back into the pot and give a nice stir.
Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cover, and cook for about 40 minutes.
About 10 minutes before serving, add gumbo file’ add in the shrimp, and give another final stir.
Top with fresh parsley and serve with cilantro rice.