Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe

+ Directions : Prepare seasoning mix. Remove skin from the 8 boneless chicken-breast HALVES. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Place pieces on a baking sheet; sprinkle liberally with seasoning. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Place flour in a plastic bag; add seasoned chicken, shaking to coat all pieces thoroughly. Remove chicken; shake in a colander to remove all excess flour, reserving flour. Heat 1 cup lard in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. When very hot, add chicken in batches; stir until browned and crisp on all sides. Remove from heat. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon; set aside. Loosen any browned bits from the bottom of pan; strain fat to remove particles. Add enough lard to strained fat to equal 1 cup. Add fat back to pot over medium-low heat. Add reserved flour; whisk until a smooth mahogany-colored roux, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat; add onion, bell pepper and celery at once; stir to blend and prevent browning. Cook until vegetabloes are wilted and onion is transparent. *SLOWLY* stir in stock; stir until combined before adding more. When all stock has been added, bring to a full boil. Reduce heat; add sausage, garlic, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Add browned chicken; simmer 25 minutes, stirring often. Add okra; cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and parsley. To serve, place 1/2 cup rice in each soup plate. Spoon gumbo over rice. Makes 8 to 10 servings. To prepare seasoning mix, in a small bowl, combine all ingredients.