Recipe: Chicken and Okra Gumbo

Chicken and Okra Gumbo
Eli and Sue’s Recipe from The Prudhomme Family Cookbook by Paul Prudhomme
Serves 6 as a main dish

• 1 (5-6 lb) stewing chicken, cut up (use the giblets too)
• Seasoning Mix (see below)
• About 1 1/2 cups pork lard, chicken fat, or vegetable oil, in all
• 1 1/2 lbs slice okra, about 2 quarts sliced
• 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• About 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 pound Andouille smoked sausage or any other good smoked pure-pork sausage, such as Kielbasa, cut into 1/2- inch slices
• 3 ozs chopped Tasso or other smoked ham, 3/4 cup chopped
• 1 1/2 tsps minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 hard boiled eggs
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions (tops only)
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 cups hot cooked rice
• Gumbo file powder, optional

Seasoning Mix

• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 3/4 tsps salt
• 1 3/4 tsps garlic powder
• 1 3/4 tsps ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
• 1 3/4 tsps black pepper

1. Remove excess fat from the chicken pieces and excess skin from around the neck area. Set aside fat and skin trimmings. Place chicken pieces and giblets in a very large bowl.
2. Combine ingredients for seasoning mix in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces and giblets with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of the mix, working it in with your hands. (Reserve remaining mix to finish the dish.) Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Slice the reserved chicken fat and skin trimmings into 1/2 inch pieces to yield about 1 cup. (If necessary, make up the balance with chicken fat, lard or vegetable oil. ) Place fat and skin in a 4-quart saucepan. Cook covered over high heat until half the mixture is rendered into fat, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If half the mixture is lard or oil, heat mixture until hot.) Add half the okra to the pan, stirring well.
4. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom well. Remove lid and stir well. Increase heat to high and cook uncovered until most of the okra is well browned but some is still green, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom well. (Stir more frequently toward end of cooking time.) Remove from heat and stir in the tomato sauce. Cover pan and set aside while frying the chicken.
5. Heat fat or oil 5/8 inch deep in a large skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke, 4 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix with the flour in a paper or plastic bag, mixing well. Just before frying each batch of chicken pieces and giblets, add them to the flour and shake until well coated. Fry the chicken meaty pieces first with skin side down, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve 1/4 cup of the seasoned flour to make the roux.
6. Remove the skillet from heat and let cook about 5 minutes. Spoon out 2 tablespoons of the fat (but not any browned sediment) and heat over high in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet just until it begins to smoke, about 3 minutes. (Discard remaining fat.) With a long-handled metal whisk, whisk in the reserved 1/4 cup seasoned flour; and cook until roux is medium red-brown, about 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Be careful not to let it scorch or splash on your skin. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until roux is dark red-brown, about 1 minute more, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and continue stirring until roux stops getting darker, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, in an 8-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven, bring 1 quart of the stock to a boil over high heat. Add the hot roux by spoonfuls, stirring until well blended before adding more. Add 1 quart more stock and the reserved okra-tomato sauce mixture, stirring well. Add the chicken pieces and giblets. Cover pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to make sure mixture doesn’t scorch. Remove cover and continue boiling about 15 minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally and being careful not to let it scorch.
8. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, Andouille, Tasso, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring well. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping well each time. Skim fat from surface as it develops. Add the remaining okra and 2 cups more stock and return mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring and scraping frequently.
9. Add the hard-boiled eggs, green onions, parsley, and the remaining 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Cook until chicken is done and tender, about 20 minutes more, stirring and scraping frequently. Note: If your gumbo is very, very thick, thin it with about 2 cups more stock or water; but, remember Sue’s Gumbo is unusually thick and it’s quite a nice variation! Remove from heat and serve immediately.
10. To serve, mound 1/4 cup rice in the middle of each large serving bowl. Pour 1 to 1 1/2 cups gumbo around the rice and arrange a piece of chicken and half an egg on top. Sprinkle gumbo file on top, if desired.