Parker Brand Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Not sure you how you like your gumbo, but this is where I've landed after making it for friends over the past two years.

When I make it I usually have to feed about 12-20 people, so if that's what you're looking for then this recipe could work for you.

If you need to make less, then no worries; just cut the recipe in half.

The main thing is to have fun with it and season it to suit your taste; you're the one who has to eat it.

The ingredients
(when possible, I've linked to the actual products I use)

2 1/2 small jars of pre-made roux
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
1 tablespoon of rosemary
1/2 teaspoon of sage
1 teaspoon of thyme
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons Southern seasoning, or to taste
2 tablespoons of Louisiana hot sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
12 to 16 chicken breast fillets cut into pieces
2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces (not cirles, but 1/2 circles)
2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
Filé powder to taste
1/2 cup of olive oil
18 large eggs

Cooking Instructions

Bring 1 1/2 gallons of water to boil in a large stock pot.

Add 18 large eggs to the water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from water, let cool, then remove shells.

Add each portion of jarred roux to the still boiling water (you may need all 3 jars... that depends on how thick you like your roux), stirring until fully dissolved (careful here; it wants to settle on the bottom). The roux should be brown, between chocolate and peanut butter.

Add chicken stock to the mix and bring the heat down to a simmer.

Coat a large skillet (I prefer cast iron) with olive oil, then cook down chicken and sausage (you can cook the breast fillets whole, then break them into smaller chunks with a wooden spoon; great way to make sure they're done).

Add onions, garlic, bell peppers, and green onions to the skillet, stirring . Season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning to taste. Cook down until onion start to turn golden yellow (this goes pretty quickly; and the edges of the sausage should start to look just a bit crispy... I like it that way).

Add the meat and vegetable mix to your gumbo base (this is what's boiling in your large pot). Stir this mixture really well, then add remaining herbs, spices and hot sauce to the mix, continuing to stir.

Once gumbo has cooked for a bit, bring it down from a boil and add file' powder to taste (this is where you'll find out what your gumbo is missing). I usually end up adding a bit of salt, or Creole seasoning at this point.

Add the boiled and peeled eggs to the gumbo and turn up the heat for a bit more, stirring every 3 to 5 minutes.

Once you're satisfied with your gumbo, turn down the heat and let it sit for a while (I usually make mine in the morning, the serve it in the evening; I turn the heat off about 4 hours before serving). Letting it sit will allow all those tasty things in that pot to soak up the flavor, and the roux will thicken up quite a bit.

About 15 minutes before serving, fix up some rice and put it in a large insulated bowl.

Your gumbo is now ready to serve. Get a bowl, a scoop of rice and pour your gumbo on top

Now, grab some mini-saltine crackers, a big plop of your Moms potato salad and dig in.

This recipe serves about 18 to 20 folks, with plenty of left overs
(this is why you save butter bowls and such... so people can take some home).