| 1 | (2- to 3-pound) chicken, cut up |
| Salt |
| Garlic powder |
| Ground red pepper (preferably cayenne) |
| 1 | cup finely chopped onions |
| 1 | cup finely chopped green bell peppers |
| 3/4 | cup finely chopped celery |
| 1 1/4 | cups all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon garlic powder |
| 1/2 | teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne) |
| Vegetable oil |
| 7 | cups low sodium Chicken Stock |
| 1/2 | pound andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or any other good pure smoked pork sausage such as Polish sausage (kielbasa), cut into 1/4-inch cubes |
| 1 | teaspoon minced garlic |
| Hot Cooked Rice |
| 1. | Remove excess fat from the chicken pieces. Rub a generous amount of salt, garlic powder and red pepper on both sides of each piece, making sure each is evenly covered. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. |
| 2. | Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl combine the onions, bell peppers and celery; set aside. |
| 3. | Combine the flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon red pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake until chicken is well coated. Reserve ½ cup of the flour. |
| 4. | Place the chicken pieces in a baking pan (do not crowd) and bake for ~40 min at 375° to 400° until nicely browned. Half way through turn the pieces over to let them brown on both sides. |
| 5. | Pour ½ cup of oil into a large heavy skillet. Place the skillet over high heat. Using a long-handled metal whisk, gradually stir in ½ cup flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until roux is dark red-brown to black, about 3½ to 4 minutes, being careful not to let it scorch or splash on your skin. Remove from heat and immediately add the reserved vegetable mixture, stirring constantly until the roux stops getting darker. |
| 6. | Return pan to low heat and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the pan bottom well. |
| 7. | Meanwhile, place the stock in a 5½-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until dissolved between each addition. Return to a boil, stirring and scraping pan bottom often. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the andouille and minced garlic. Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring often toward the end of cooking time. |
| 8. | While the gumbo is simmering, bone the cooked chicken and cut the meat into ½-inch dice. When the gumbo is cooked, stir in the chicken and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. |
| 9. | To serve as a main course, mound ⅓ cup cooked rice in the center of a soup bowl; ladle about 1¼ cups gumbo around the rice. |