Chicken Gumbo
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound andouille or other smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (optional, to cook sausage and prevent sticking)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced (keep white and green parts separate)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 large bay leaves
- 2 large ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3/4 pound fresh okra, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks, or one 10-ounce package frozen sliced okra
- 3 pounds chicken thighs, skinned and trimmed, or 2-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
- One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, or stewed whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with liquid
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, pushed through a press
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons file powder, cornmeal, or quick-cooking polenta (optional, if it needs thickening)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Tabasco sauce(optional)
Preparation:
Heat the pressure cooker over medium-high heat, and brown the sausage on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.Over medium-high heat, cook the sliced scallion whites, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute. Add the broth and take care to scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the cooker. Add the worchestershire , thyme, bay leaves, celery, green pepper, okra, chicken , and half of the browned sausage. Pour the tomatoes on top. Do not stir.Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 4 minutes for chopped boneless chicken or 12 minutes for whole thighs. Quick-release the pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to escape.Remove bay leaves. Stir well as you add the reserved sausage and garlic. If the stew is too thin, sprinkle on the file or other thickener while stirring. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer until the stew has thickened a bit and the garlic has lost its raw edge, about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Stir in the scallion greens and parsley just before serving.
