Chicken Stew

Ingredients

1 (5–8 pound) rooster, cut into serving pieces**

1½ cups vegetable oil

1¾ cups flour

2 cups diced onions

2 cups diced celery

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 cup diced bell peppers

¼ cup minced garlic

3 quarts chicken stock

1 tbsp chopped basil

1 tsp chopped thyme

4 fresh sage leaves

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 cups sliced green onions

1 cup chopped parsley

salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

In a 3-gallon Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, whisk in flour until the roux is dark brown. Make sure it doesn't burn, if it sticks to the bottom of the pan and begins to burn, start over. Add onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers and minced garlic. Cook 3–5 minutes stirring constantly. Add andouille and cook an additional 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in 3 quarts chicken stock, basil and thyme until dissolved in roux. Add rooster, bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook 2–2½ hours or until meat is fork tender, add green onions, parsley, salt, pepper. Continue cooking 15–20 minutes, adding additional stock or water to retain stew-like consistency.Serve over steamed white rice.

** You can prepare this dish with a Stewing chicken as well. Or you can use a chicken/s to make the stock and then just add the par-cooked chicken meat about an hour before finishing.