This recipe was passed to me by one of my Navy brothers who was about as back woods Cajun as you can get. We were liquored up so I’m not sure what I promised to get this recipe. 30 years later, I might not want him knocking on my door. Something about sisters and marriage and all if my mind can get it straight…

This recipe can feed 6 to 8 family and friends, the calories and macros will be for 6 servings.

• 1/2 lb Andouille sausage cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 lbs chicken breast
• 1 1/2 quart water
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
•  tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp Tobasco, or more if you like the heat
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups cooked rice

In a 3 quart sauce pan over medium high heat, brown the Andouille in 2 tbsp of oil. Once browned, remove from pan and set aside. Add the chicken and cook it until golden brown.

Add the water and cook until the chicken is tender, or about a half hour. Remove the chicken and leave the liquid at this point and cube it up into bite size pieces.

In a skillet over medium heat, mix the remaining oil and the flour and then cook until the Roux turns brown. Be sure to stir this constantly. Once your roux has browned, stir in the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and parsley and cook for about another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir the roux and vegetables into the sauce pan with the liquid, along with the bay leaves, thyme, Tobasco, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer. Be sure to stir well while bringing it to a boil. You do not want your gumbo to be lumpy. Simmer this uncovered for about 45 minutes, then add the chicken and Andouille and simmer another 15 minutes

Once done, remove from the heat and add your green onions and adjust your seasonings to taste. I like to add red pepper flakes to mine as an option. Be sure to let the gumbo stand for about 15 minutes, and then serve over a half cup of cooked rice in a soup bowl.

504 Calories, 13.7g Fat, 33.2g carbs and 57.8g protein