Cajun Chicken Stew

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4-1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 lbs chicken, cut,rinsed,and dried
• 2 cups chicken stock or 1 can low sodium chicken broth
• water
• 1 bunch parsley
• salt
• black pepper
• red pepper
• olive oil (optional - not for roux)

Recipe

• 1 season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste (the chicken can be marinated in olive oil and black pepper overnight. add salt last minute if marinated) make a dark roux- in a heavy iron skillet (prefer cast-iron), heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
• 2 add the flour.
• 3 with a wooden spoon, stir constantly and thouroughly, until the flour mixture reached an even chocolate color, about 15 minutes (black flecks means it's burned and will be bitter. start over).
• 4 carefully add the onions, celery and bell pepper.
• 5 stir constantly for 60 seconds.
• 6 add garlic, stir to mix, and add the chicken.
• 7 stir to coat the chicken with the roux mixture.
• 8 carefully and slowly, add the chicken stock.
• 9 chicken mixture can be transferred to a larger pot at this point. a dutch oven is recommended.
• 10 cover the chicken with water, bring to a boil.
• 11 place the lid on the pot, reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes.
• 12 stir occasionally, sauce should be thickened.
• 13 just before serving, add chopped parsley to taste, season with salt and red pepper to taste.
• 14 serve over hot rice.
• 15 hint: for saving leftovers, store the rice and the sauce in seperate containers.
• 16 this prevents the rice from getting soggy.