Listen to any Cajun that knows their way around a good gumbo and they will most certainly tell you that the secret is in the roux.

Roux, that dark delicious mixture of fat and flour, slow cooked to perfection, roasting each microscopic grain of flour to a deep dark brown.

A proper dark roux can take a novice a good bit of time to perfect, burn it and it is ruined. Before I learned of a method by Alton Brown, I would take at least 30-40 minutes over the stove stirring constantly while monitoring the heat, not too hot and always with 2-3 beers to enjoy.

I still do the stovetop version when I am outdoors cooking but when I have the option to use an oven, the method from Alton Brown pretty much guarantees a perfect deep dark roux without the risk of burning.

It is simple, simply heat an oven to 325F and place equal amounts of fat (I use canola oil) and flour in a cast iron skillet. Combine well and place in the oven. Stir about every 30 minutes. After about 1 1/2 to 2 hours you will have the perfect deep dark roux.

Set off to the side and allow to cool slightly. Drain oil off that will rise to the top and it is ready to use.

Scott's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

I have made a lot of Gumbo and I get a lot of compliments on my version. It is without a couple of the classic ingredients one might find in other Gumbo's, Okra and Filé powder simply because I cannot source them in South Korea.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup canola oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1 med onion
1 med green bell pepper
3 stalks celery
1 1/2 quart chicken stock
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken meat
1 pound smoked pork sausage
Cayenne pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoon each Salt - Black Pepper - Garlic Powder
Green onion - sliced for garnish
Cooked rice

Directions:

Using the oil and flour prepare a dark roux using the method described above. While the roux is cooling slightly chop onion, bell pepper, and celery. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks and season with a blend of the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Slice the pork sausage into 1/2 inch slices.

In a large heavy pot over med high heat add the sausage. Cook to render some of the fat and to brown it.

Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the brown bits in the bottom of the pan and to it add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook the vegetables while scraping the bottom of the pan to remove the brown bits. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion just starts to become translucent.

Lower the heat to low and add the prepared dark roux along with a teaspoon of garlic powder. Stir constantly to incorporate well with the vegetables and to avoid burning the roux. Cook only for about 1 minute.

Gradually add in the chicken stock a few cups at a time and stirring to incorporate in between. Although my recipe calls for 1 1/2 quarts, I eyeball it while adding the stock to get the desired consistency I prefer. I usually end up with about 1 1/2 cups of stock left.

Add the sausage and the chicken to the pot. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally. After about 10 minutes skim off any fat or scum that may rise to the surface. Season with cayenne pepper to suit your level of 'HEAT', I generally go for about 2 teaspoons.

Continue to cook for about another 10 minutes, again stirring occasionally and removing any surface fat or scum.

To serve spoon a generous portion of the Gumbo into a large bowl and place a scoop of cooked rice in the center. Garnish with green onion, open some cold beer and as they say in New Orleans, "Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler".

Until Next Time, Let The Good Times Roll!

Scott