Directions

The roux is the critical ingredient for any gumbo. It is, if you will, the essence of gumbo. Roux is like a good jump shot. It seems really easy until you try it, then you realize that you suck until you get the feel of it. Once you get the feel of it, it's not so hard. Just keep stirring. You need to get it somewhat dark. Don't be a pussy. It can take more than you think, but stop if you think it's going to burn. You'll feel it out after you've made this a few times.

Now, get your roux on. In an 8 quart or larger stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers, stir in the flour so that the oil/flour mixture evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Fry the flour while stirring the mixture and scraping the pan almost constantly with a wooden spoon until the roux turns a deep caramel color. If black spots appear in the roux, it is burned and you must start over.

Stir onions and green peppers into the roux until all of the roux is mixed in with the vegetables. Stirring occasionally, cook the onions and peppers until they are just moderately crunchy, and then add the garlic. Continue to cook the mixture and stir until the onions and peppers start to become nearly soft.

Add the okra. Stirring occasionally, cook until the okra is hot and its juice is fluid and mixing with the other vegetables. At this point, if you don't know better, your pot probably looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. It will be very gooey and quite sticky from the okra juice.

Stir in the chicken broth, and tomatoes. Add the cayenne pepper, oregano, black pepper, salt, and gumbo file. Slightly increase the temperature and cook the mixture until it begins to boil, stirring so as to make sure that none of the ingredients stick to the bottom of the pot.

The rice will stick, burn, and ruin your gumbo. Watch that stuff.

Once the mixture has reached a slow boil add the chicken, sausage and rice. Reduce the heat to hold the gumbo at a simmer. Cook at least 30 to 60 minutes until the rice has a popcorn-like appearance. Serve in bowls with dark beer and fresh baguettes with butter. Several varieties of hot sauce should be available. But always, always provide Tobasco-brand pepper sauce.

Variations

The recipe as I make it normally has these alterations:
Replace one of the green bell peppers with five seeded, demembranded and coarsely chopped fresh jalapeno chilies
Replace one of the green bell peppers with a seeded, demembranded and coarsely chopped sweet red bell pepper
Double the amount of cayenne pepper.
Add two to three tablespoons Tabasco sauce
Replace the 28 ounce can of tomatoes with 2 ½ pounds of skinned and seeded fresh ripe tomatoes.