Creamy Chicken Gumbo

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/3 cups rice
• 1 (3 lb) whole chickens, cut into pieces
• 7 cups canned or fresh chicken stock
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup cooked or canned ham, diced into bite size pieces
• 3 tablespoons tabasco sauce or 3 tablespoons your favorite hot sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon creole seasoning or 1 teaspoon file powder or 1 teaspoon your favorite seasoning salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup wine

Recipe

• 1 cook the rice according to package directions, but remove from heat about 15 minutes before it's done.
• 2 drain the excess liquid, and set aside.
• 3 in a stock pot over high heat, combine the chicken and the fresh or canned chicken stock.
• 4 bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low.
• 5 simmer for 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked and tender.
• 6 remove chicken from the pot, and allow it to cool.
• 7 reserve liquid stock from pot for later.
• 8 when chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones, cut into bite size pieces, and reserve.
• 9 discard the fat and the bones.
• 10 in the same stock pot over medium heat, saute the celery and onion in the a tablespoon of butter for 5 minutes.
• 11 add the ham, and cover.
• 12 cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender.
• 13 return the liquid stock in the stock pot, and add the partially cooked rice.
• 14 stir in the tabasco, pepper and any creole seasoned salt; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• 15 meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• 16 stir in the flour until smooth.
• 17 whisk in the milk, and continue cooking until mixture is bubbly and thick.
• 18 add some of the stock mixture to the milk mixture, continuing to stir, then stir all of the milk mixture into the stock mixture.
• 19 mix in the reserved chicken meat and the wine.
• 20 allow this to heat through for about 15 minutes.