Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is a Louisiana tradition. The first time I was coming over here to visit my husband when we were dating, my housemate's boyfriend told me I had to have Gumbo, he didn't know what it was but he had heard of it. So when I got here I asked Ken about it and he introduced me to Gumbo. To me it is a cross between a stew and a soup and as to what the traditional recipe is well that varies from kitchen to kitchen. Some say it's traditional to add tomatoes, some say it's a huge no no. As to the the meat well it can be anything that a Cajun can think off.

At the end of my first trip to Louisiana my mother in law gave me a gumbo mix pack and tin of Rotel tomatoes to take back to Northern Ireland to make Gumbo. I am really good at following recipes but I'm horrible at mixes, adding water seems to be beyond me! Anyhow I decided to cook it for my mother and was really excited to introduce her to it. Well the mix was for a huge pot and back then I didn't own a measuring cup never mind knew what to do with one. So I add a bit of mix and a bit of water. Well the concentration was off and well let say we couldn't eat it and had some unhappy stomachs for a day or so. 

After I got married, a few months later, I was on a mission to learn to make Gumbo from scratch because well the mix and I weren't getting on too well. I found a recipe and added my spin and now I use the same base and just switch between seafood or chicken and sausage. I add tomatoes to mine and okra. Okra helps thicken the gumbo. Yes I do make the roux from scratch although I don't always stand there for 45 minutes to get a dark chocolate roux. I don't like burning my roux so I have a habit of stopping at a dark peanut butter color. Sauteing the vegetables in the roux adds their flavor throughout the entire gumbo.

Gumbo freezes really well and I have been known to make a massive pot and freeze enough for 4 or 5 meals. It's also great if you are cooking for a large group of people. As a Christmas/Thanksgiving Turkey leftover dish just switch out the chicken for the turkey!

Oh and yes I have cooked this for my mother, she was a little apprehensive at first but she does prefer this version to her first experience!

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb hot smoked sausage, cut into ¼ inch slices

1 whole chicken

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

½ cup chopped celery

2 quarts chicken broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

Frozen okra, thawed

Tin of diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

2 tsp Creole seasoning

½ tsp dried thyme

1 T Worcestershire sauce

½ to 1 tsp hot sauce

½ cup sliced green onions

Hot cooked rice

Directions:

 1. Boil chicken in pot with Tony’s seasoning until cooked. Strip chicken meat and set aside.

2. Brown sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove to paper towel, reserving drippings.

3. Measure drippings, adding enough oil to measure ½ cup. Heat in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot.

4. Add flour to hot oil; cook, stirring constantly, until roux is the color of chocolate (about 30 - 45 minutes). 

5. Add onion, green pepper and celery; cook until vegetables are tender, stirring often.

6. Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan; add garlic and next 7 ingredients. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.

7. Add sausage to pan and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in green onions; cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

8. Remove bay leaves; serve gumbo over rice. 

To complete the meal serve with potato salad and bread.

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

I can honestly say Jambalaya is one of my favorite Cajun dishes. It's ability to be cooked on mass makes it one of the most social dishes. 

On the subject, my friend is holding a Jambalaya Plate Benefit for Corbin Duplechin, a precious little angel that was taken from his parents too soon. You can read the details and how to get involved if you live in the Baton Rouge area on the link above.

So back to the jambalaya. This is one of the dishes that I used to cook from a box mix, Zatarians was my brand of choice. It was fairly good but when I needed to change my diet to less processed this was the first that I started from scratch and I can honestly say that it really doesn't take much more time than the box mix and it tastes a million times better.

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Prep Time: 1 hour

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt and ground pepper

1 lbs sausage, cut into ¼ inch slices

2 cups chopped onion

1 cups chopped celery

1 cups chopped green bell pepper

1 Tbsp minced garlic

4 cups chicken stock (or water flavored with chicken bouillon)

1 Tbsp Kitchen bouquet (browning agent)

1 Tbsp seasoning salt (I use Tony’s, surprise surprise!)

2.5 cups uncooked long grain white rice

Directions:

 1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to a large Dutch oven or stockpot along with the sausage and cook over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes. If it starts to brown the bottom of the pot don't worry this adds to the color and flavor, just don't let it burn.

2. Remove chicken and sausage from pan; set aside.

3. Add onions, celery, green peppers and garlic; cook, stirring 7 – 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to wilt.

4. Stir in chicken stock, reserved chicken and sausage, Tony's and Kitchen Bouquet.

5. Bring to a boil; add rice and return  to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer.

6. Cook 10 minutes; remove cover and stir. Replace cover and cook 15 – 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

To complete the meal, serve with salad and fresh bread rolls.

Fried Catfish

Down here in Louisiana Fried Catfish is a stable. In Northern Ireland it's Cod. I do have to say that I much prefer catfish.

Again like yesterday I let my husband do the hard work here. He's so good at it!! (Just in case he's reading this!)

Unlike my fried chicken I use a pre-made seasoning mix and my favorite is Zatarain's Seasoned Fish-Fri Crispy Southern Style. There's just something special about how it tastes. Although in true Home Cooking Mama style, my husband adds a generous helping of Tony's seasoning to it. 

This past Alligator hunting season my husband got to kill an alligator and he brought the yummy meat home. So when we fried the catfish this time we took some gator meat out too. I also have to add that he caught the catfish too, he loves to fish but then he is a Louisiana son!! Alligator is delicious, I think it's actually one of my favorite things down here, after crawfish and crab. We just cooked the delicious nuggets of meat the same way as the catfish. If you are not from the South and you ever get a chance to try it it is worth it. People compare it to chicken but I actually think it tastes better!

Fried Alligator

Now back to the catfish, I really don't have a recipe for you because firstly my husband usually makes it and secondly it's not that difficult so I'll give it a go!!! Again I'm sharing our recipes and if you are following the Month of Home Cooked Meals then if normally your family gets frozen fish then go for it. 

Fried Fish

Ingredients:

1 lb catfish fillets (I prefer thin cut)

1 box of Zatarain's Seasoned Fish-Fri Crispy Southern Style

Tony's Seasoning (optional depending on your spice taste)

Vegetable Oil for frying

Milk

Directions:

1. Place fillets in a large pan or bowl and cover with milk and sprinkle with Tony's seasoning. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

2. In a ziploc bag add the Fish-fri and season with Tony's.

3. Add the fish and toss to cover completely.

4. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet (or heavy saucepan/skillet) until it reaches 325 degrees F.

5. Add the fish to the oil and cook until lightly golden brown.

6. Serve with tartar sauce and ketchup, or my preference mayonnaise (much to my father-in-law's disgust! He hates mayonnaise\)

To make a complete meal out it serve with fries, corn on the cob, coleslaw and hush puppies.

Happy Home Cooking!

Cajun Pasta

So the first dish on our month of home cooking meals is Cajun Pasta. It's a wonderful dish that is full of Cajun flavors. You can adjust the spice level by adding or reducing the amount of Cajun seasoning.

Makes: 4 - 6  servings

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch strips

½ lb Cajun smoked sausage, sliced

½ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chicken broth

1 tsp all-purpose flour

1 cup whipping cream

1 T Cajun or Creole seasoning (more Tony's!!!)

2 T tomato paste

1 tsp cracked pepper (optional)

1 green onion, cut into thin strips

1 sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 (16 oz) pkg. thin spaghetti, uncooked

Directions:

1. Cook chicken and next 3 ingredients in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until meat is lightly browned; remove chicken mixture from skillet and set aside.
2. Add wine to skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until wine is reduced to ¼ cup.
3. Combine chicken broth and flour, stirring until smooth. Add chicken broth mixture, whipping cream, Cajun seasoning, tomato paste and if desired, cracked pepper to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. While the sauce is simmering cook the thin spaghetti according to the package directions and drain.
5. Add chicken mixture and pepper strips; cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Combine thin spaghetti and chicken mixture; toss gently.

To complete the meal serve with some garlic bread and salad.