Gumbo #4

      
Ingredients:

Vegetables, combine in one bowl and add together:
 3 cloves of garlic, minced
 2 green peppers, chopped
 2 jalepenos, chopped
 1 onion, diced
 2 stalks of celery, diced

Seasonings:
 1 tsp smoked paprika
 1/2 tsp cinnamon (gave it an undertone of sweet to balance the heat, not Sean's favorite)
 1/4 tsp cayenne
 1 TBSP spicy cajun seasoning (plus more for the proteins)
 2 bay leaves
 1 1/2 TBSP Creole Seasoning
 2 tsp pepper
 1 tsp salt
 3 TBSP fresh parsley

Proteins:
 1 pound Andouille sausage, cut into half moons
 3 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
 1 pound of small shrimp, raw
 8 oz of crab claw meat (ok to buy the container from the seafood department here)
 pint of oysters, chopped

Other ingredients:
1 cup of butter
1 cup of flour
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of seafood stock
3/4 cups of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp gumbo file

Directions:
1. In a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, brown your sausage and then remove fro mthe pot.
2. Season chicken with some spicy cajun seasoning and brown in the pot, remove.
3. Add all of your vegetables to the pot with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper.  Saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes stirring often.
4. Remove vegetables from the pot. Deglaze with a splash of stock.
5. Make your roux. Melt the butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in your flour. Once smooth, switch to a wooden spoon. Continue to stir for about 10-15 minutes or until a chocolate color appears.  You want a nice dark roux so you can have a dark gumbo!  No blonde gumbo's here.
6. Once you have the desired color for you gumbo, slowly whisk in your broth and tomatoes.
7. Add your vegetables, Worcestershire, and all seasonings to the pot.  Simmer for about 50 minutes.
8. Season your seafood with 1 TBSP spicy cajun seasoning. Sprinkle about 1 TBSP flour over chicken and sausage that has been resting.
9. Slowly add in your chicken, sausage, and all seafood.  Stir to combine.
10. Add in your file. Simmer for the last 10 minutes.
11. Taste for seasoning - and serve and enjoy!
Note: Use regular long grain rice to serve along with your gumbo.  The gumbo has all the flavor so you just need to boil rice with water, tsp salt and a pad of butter.