Mike’s Sausage And Chicken Gumbo

Thom Rainer did a study a number of years ago asking formerly unchurched people the open-ended question, “What factors led you to choose this church?” A lot of surveys had been done asking the unchurched what they would like in a church. But this study asked the formerly unchurched why they actually were now in a church. The results were surprising: 11 percent said worship style led them to their church, 25 percent said children’s/youth ministry, and 37 percent said they sensed God’s presence at their church. For 41 percent, someone from the church had witnessed to them, and 49 percent mentioned friendliness as the reason for choosing their church. Can you guess the top two responses? Doctrine and preaching – 88 percent said the doctrine led them to their church, and 90 percent said the preaching led them there, in particular, a pastor who preached with certitude and conviction… When it comes to reaching outsiders, bold, deep, biblical preaching is not the problem. It’s part of the solution.

Kevin DeYoung

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Meats, Vegetables	Cajun	Cajun, Ethnic, Pork, Poultry	6	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1	lb	Chicken breasts, skinned
		and boned
		Salt to taste
		Pepper to taste
		Garlic powder to taste
1	lb	Hot Italian sausage
1	lb	Sweet Italian Sausage
1/2	c	Vegetable oil
1/2	c	All-purpose flour
2	c	Chopped onion, 1 lg
1	c	Chopped pepper, 1 lg
1	c	Chopped celery, 2 ribs
6	c	Water divided
1	t	Black pepper
1	t	Chopped garlic, 2 cloves
1/2	t	Cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Season chicken breasts lightly with salt, black pepper and garlic
powder. If possible, do this the day before you cook the gumbo.  Next
cook sausage and then cut the links into small bite size pieces.  Make
roux, using a cast iron or very heavy skillet that is very clean.
Place oil in skillet over high heat - oil should be at stage where it
just begins to smoke - and gradually stir in flour, using a
long-handled spoon.  Roux will take about 3 to 4 minutes to cook and
must be stirred  constantly so that it does not burn.  If you see black
specks in the  roux, it has burned and you must start over again.  As
you make the roux, it will change in color from cream to tan to  brown
and then to dark red-brown. At this stage, remove from heat.  Stir in
onions, green peppers, and celery, stirring constantly until  roux
stops getting darker. Bring to stove once more, and cook over  low heat
about five to seven minutes, stirring constantly.  In a large dutch
oven, bring 6 c of water to a boil, and add the roux,  stirring to
dissolve it thoroughly.  Carefully add chicken and cook  about 30 to 40
minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove  chicken, and set
aside to cool.  When cooled, cut into bite-size  pieces.  Add cooked
sausage, 1 ts black pepper, chopped garlic and cayenne to  the pot, and
simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, uncovered, stirring  frequently. Taste,
and add salt, if necessary.  Stir in the chicken,  and remove the gumbo
from the heat.  Skim surface to remove fat that  sausage gives off
during cooking.  Serve over rice with a tossed green salad and French
bread on the  side.  Note: Excellent, IMHO if done correctly.  Thanks
to Joseph Vanicek for the adaptation of his Chicken and Sausage  Gumbo
that I changed a bit.  I prefer the spicy of the sausage and it  is
certainly spicy if you use some well flavored Italian link  sausage.
Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V4 #247 by Mike Reeves
<[email protected]> on Sep 16, 1997

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