Recipe - Louisiana Chicken Stew

One fourth cup Vegetable oil
2 lg Whole chicken breasts (about
3 pounds), skin on, cut
into 8 pieces (you may use
boned breasts)
12 Chicken thighs (about 4 lb)
One fourth cup Allpurpose flour
1 One half cup Coarsely chopped onion
2 cup Coarsely chopped celery
2 md Green bell peppers, coarsely
chopped
1 cn Tomatoes, coarsely chopped,
with juice (32 oz)
4 tablespoon Tomato paste
1 teaspoon Hot pepper sauce, to taste
4 cup Chicken broth or stock
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
2 lg Bay leaves
2 lg Garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Salt
One half teaspoon Black pepper
One fourth pound Precooked, coarsely chopped
andouille sausage or other
spicy garlic sausage

NOTE: This tasty stew will reward you for the time it takes to make a
proper roux, which add depth.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Working in small batches
over mediumhigh heat, brown the chicken pieces on all sides (skin
side down first). With thongs, remove each browned batch to a platter.

After all the chicken is browned, make a New Orleansstyle roux; Pour
the remaining oil form the Dutch oven into a measuring cup. Return
One fourth cup to the Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add the flour
and stir, scraping flour from the bottom of the pan as it slowly
browns. Stir constantly until the roux is a rich brown, the color of
a paper bag. (Be careful: When a roux begins to brown, it can burn
very quickly and will continue to cook, even off the heat, until
liquid is added.) This will take about 20 minutes.

Immediately stir in the onions, celery and peppers. Cook until wilted,
about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, hot
pepper sauce, bay leaves, broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a
simmer

Remove the skin and visible fat from the chicken. Return to the pan.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Add the sausage. Skim off
fat as it collects on top of the sauce. Cook another 30 minutes, or
until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick.

TO SERVE AFTER FREEZING: Thaw as recommended. Reheat slowly in a
covered pot over mediumlow heat. Serve in shallow soup dishes over
freshly cooked white rice. Serves 12.

Per serving (1 One half pieces of chicken, with rice): 669 calories, 68
grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrates, 2.7 grams fiber, 24 grams fat
(5.8 grams saturated), 747 milligrams sodium.

From Tuscon area newspapers, 1994, 3rd quarter, courtest Mike Orchekowski.
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/tn94q3.zip