Sausage Shrimp Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (8 tbsp), divided
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 cups frozen sliced okra
• 6 tablespoons flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
• 1/2 pound small uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Cook onions, bell pepper, and celery in butter in a large pot. Add garlic and vegetables for the last minute of cooking.
2. Add the chicken stock, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire, parsley, okra, and salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat, cover, and simmer.
3. While mixture is simmering add sliced sausage to a skillet and brown. Once browned, remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon and add to chicken stock mixture.
4. Discard remaining sausage drippings from pan then melt 6 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Once melted, add 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until roux is incorporated. Continue cooking 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until roux becomes a caramel color. Be careful not to burn but the darker the roux the deeper the flavor.
5. Add the roux to the chicken stock mixture and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat; add the chicken and simmer. At this point the gumbo is ready to eat but you can let it simmer for 1-2 hours to let the flavors meld even more if you wish. You can also pour the gumbo into a crockpot on low until you are ready to eat. Add the shrimp right before serving.
6. Serve over rice.