I've been refining a bit... this came out awfully chunky, another small can of chicken broth might have helped.
- 1 pound fresh or frozen okra sliced
- 2 white onions, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 1 can, diced tomatoes
- 1 chicken breast, diced
- 4 links spicy andouille
- 1 large can of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Peanut oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 habañero
- Black Pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- Basmati rice
The meat could easily be substituted for shrimp, crab, or crawfish.
Pour the chicken broth and tomatoes in a stock pot to get them out of the way, put the pot on medium heat.
Saute the onions in a pan for a bit on med-hi heat, then dump them in the stock pot. Replace the onions with the spring onions, garlic, and celery in the same pan. If you aren't salivating now with the spring onions and garlic simmering you aren't doing it right.
Dump the simmering greens into the stock pot and start the roux:
In the same pan the greens were in, place 1/2 cup peanut oil on medium to medium-hi heat. Fill a second 1/2 cup measuring cup with flour. Whisk the peanut oil while slowly adding flour. Be sure to keep it from clumping or burning until all flour is added.
I wear a leather glove for this, maybe you have a better whisk than me, I need to get a new one. Whisk the roux under medium to medium-high heat (it helps to have a gas range) without break as the roux darkens. Once all the flour is mixed, the roux should be just off-white leaning to tan. As it darkens it will become a peanut-butter brown. Continue whisking, mindful to scrape the bottom of the pan, and adjusting heat as necessary, until the roux is the color of dark chocolate. If any of the roux burns, you'll need to start over. I've never had to start over but I can imagine it's pretty easy.
Once the roux is ready, pour it into the stock pot. It is oil based, the stock is water based. The hot roux will not be happy as it is mixed into the stock. Stir to mix.
In the same pan the onions, greens, and roux were prepared, place the chicken on medium heat with the lid on. You could do the okra at this point but your arms should be tired from whisking the roux and the chicken will be a nice break, have a beer.
Once the chicken is ready, dump it in the broth and replace it with the sliced okra, again using the lid. Stir the stock while that is simmering and season to taste with cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper. If you have a favorite small bottle in the fridge with skulls and crossed bones on the label, now is the time to be liberal with it. Take the leather glover off, you look silly.
Flip the sauteing okra a bit. The okra should be consistently ropey in it's own juices. Once it is, dump it in the stock.
Fill the pan with 1/2" of water and place on medium heat. Add the andouille and bring the water to a boil. Have a beer.
Flip the andoille and start the rice. I make a cup so that I'll have plenty for leftovers.
Once the water is all boiled off, slice the andouille and half the slices, then dump them in the stock pot. Have a beer.
Serve over rice in a bowl.
