Jumbo Gumbo

Kevin and I braved the near-riot Market Basket yesterday. Pre-snowstorm. We hadn't shopped at Market Basket in a while because the near-riot conditions are enough to make a person drink. But yesterday was ridiculous!

Here's what happened in Aisle 3: The people from Aisle 2 and the people from the deli counter converged on Aisle 3. Someone dropped a 5lb bag of sugar so two employees were on the scene to clean it up. A floor stocker was there with a huge dolly restocking the quickly emptying shelves. Instead of asking for help, a 5' tall man tried to reach the top box of 6-pack Cup O'Noodles which sent the top box flying off the shelf, its corner landing on some woman's head. Did I mention *all those people* from Aisle 2 and the deli counter? To make this scenario even more vivid, the aisles are very narrow and everyone abides by this unspoken rule that you always enter the store on the right where Aisle 1 is.

Kevin hates shopping at Market Basket, but I happen to like the chaos. It's a weird ebb and flow that does sometimes fall apart but in the end you walk out with this strange sense of satisfaction that you survived yet another Market Basket trip.

And you can't beat those low prices! Someone in internetland said she hated how gross it is in Market Basket. I disagree. It's not gross. It's just not new and fancy and covered in pretty product displays like the bigger supermarkets. I couldn't give a rat's ass about the look of a supermarket. If the products are the exact same and within its expiration date, I can sacrifice the false comfort aesthetics provide for a lot of savings.

:~~:

Jumbo Gumbo

1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup garlic oil
1 cup flour
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 lb andouille sausage, chopped *
3 qts chicken broth
6 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1/4 c Cajun seasoning **
1 bunch parsley

FYI, this yields a lot of gumbo. 8-10 servings, easily.

* If you can't find andouille sausage, smoked sausage will work. But I highly recommend andouille. It's spicier.












** You can make your own Cajun seasoning by combining 2 T salt, 2 t ground cayenne pepper, 1 t ground white pepper, 1 t ground black pepper, 1 t paprika, 1 t onion powder, 1 t garlic powder. This yields 1/4 cup

Put chicken and sausage in a pot and cover it with water. Boil until chicken is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a Dutch oven on medium heat, mix oils and flour until it forms a roux. Stir constantly for 20-25 minutes until the roux is penny-colored. As any rajun Cajun will tell you, stirring the sauce until it's a deep brown color is the key to a successful gumbo.












When the desired color is reached, add chicken stock, chicken, sausage, onions, celery, cajun seasoning and parsley. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add parsley and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve over hot, cooked rice.