Mardi Gras Gumbo

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!!" It is the spirit of the celebration, and this is the signature dish of New Orleans:
(Serves 10-12)

3/4 fresh pork, or beef sausage links
3/4 lb. smoked sausages, sliced
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs*, cubed
1 cup veg. oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large sweet* onion, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 green or red* bell pepper, finely chopped
4 qts. low sodium* chicken broth
2 t. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 lb. Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined*
1 pint Gulf oysters
Kosher* salt and hot sauce (I would use Tabasco*), to taste
1&1/2 T. file powder (or more to taste) - file powder is the ground leaves of the sassafras tree
Hot cooked rice

Pierce skin of fresh sausage and brown it in a large Dutch oven. Remove from pan. Let cool, slice into rings, and set aside. Brown smoked sausage in the fat remaining in the Dutch oven. Remove. Saute chicken in the same pan until lightly browned. Remove. Add oil to fat in pan and heat until shimmering. Stir in flour to make your roux. Cook, stirring constantly, until roux is a milk chocolate brown, 10-15 mins. (depending on how high the heat). Add onion and cook, stirring constantly until the roux darkens to a bitter-sweet chocolate color, about 3 mins. Add celery and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 mins. Add chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves, and bring mixture to a boil. Return sausages and chicken to the pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the a simmer and cook until thickened and fragrant, about 45 mins. Add green onions and shellfish. Cook until shrimp are pink and edges of oysters ruffle, about 5 mins. Season with salt and hot sauce. Remove from heat and stir in file powder. Serve over rice.

"Did you know that bear fat was the original choice for the roux by the Cajuns?"

I am wearing a ton of beads today and gonna have FUN on Fat Tuesday!! How 'bout you??

Let the good times roll!!

Love,

MM