Smoked Sausage and Chicken Gumbo

We wanted to celebrate Mardis Gras this year with a dish from New Orleans. After searching Pinterest I found this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. There was just the right amount of kick to this Gumbo and everyone, including the fussy ones, loved it.

  

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon + 3 tablespoons Olive Oil

14 oz Andouille Sausage, sliced into half-moons

4 skin-in, bone-in chicken thighs

1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 small celery stalks, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

56 oz low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more or less according to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage then saute until browned, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate then set aside. Season both sides of chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning then place skin side down in Dutch oven. Sear on both sides until golden brown, 3-4 minutes a side (does not need to be cooked through,) then transfer to plate with sausage and set aside.
2. Remove Dutch oven from heat for a few minutes to cool slightly then place back over medium heat. Add remaining 3 Tablespoons oil then sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly until mixture is the color of caramel, 10-15 minutes (this is your roux.) Add bell pepper, celery, and shallot or onion then saute until vegetables are slightly tender, 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven often with a wooden spoon to make sure roux doesn't burn. Add garlic and tomato paste then saute for one more minute.
3. Add a couple big glugs of chicken broth at a time to the Dutch oven, using the wooden spoon to scrape up any bits on the bottom. Add remaining chicken broth, remaining 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, sauteed sausage and chicken thighs then turn heat up to bring gumbo to a boil. Turn heat down to medium then simmer uncovered for 1-1/2 hours, occasionally skimming off the fat that rises to the top.
4. Transfer chicken to a cutting board then remove and discard skin and bones. Shred chicken then add back into the gumbo. Remove bay leaves then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve over cooked white rice.
5. Serves 6