Gumbo #2: Smoked Chicken,Sausage, Shrimp Gumbo - Yes in a Slow Cooker!

Ingredients:
6 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP liquid smoke
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 1/4 pounds of chicken thighs
6 cups of low sodium chicken broth
10 oz of andouille or other smoked sausage, diced into bite sized pieces
3 TBSP Cajun Seasoning (the brand I used today was Bon appetite)
2 TBSP Old Bay Seasoning
1 TBSP file powder
1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp, raw
Cooked basmati rice
Sliced green onions for garnish

Directions:
1. Start with your roux.  Heat butter in a saucepan on medium low heat.  Once butter is melted, add 1 TBSP liquid smoke and whisk in the flour slowly.  Your roux should immediately be bubbling slowly.  Keep whisking it and cooking it over low to medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.  Your roux should be at least a light brown color.  The darker the roux, the more intense the flavor.  Reserve your roux until you are ready to assemble everything else.  I made mine the night before.
2. The night before I added 1 TBSP old bay seasoning to the chicken and 1 TBSP of old bay seasoning to the shrimp and tossed it around.  Not much of a marinade, but it will give the protein a little more flavor when cooking.
3. Using at least a 6 quart slow cooker, add all of your chopped vegetables to the bottom.  Lay the chicken and sausage on top, nestling it in.
4. Spoon in your roux in tsp size pieces. Add in your chicken stock, remainder or seasonings, and file. 5. Cover, cook on low for about 6 hours.
6. Pull the chicken out and shred it into pieces with 2 forks.  Throw it back into the gumbo.
7. Add in the shrimp to the slow cooker. Start your rice cooking.  While the rice cooks for about 8-10 minutes, the shrimp will cook in the gumbo.
8. Serve gumbo over a nice bowl of rice and garnish with green onions.

YUM!

I had to have wine on a thursday night if I was having gumbo!
Ye Ye
Albarino
2015
California