Smothered Chicken, Shrimp, Sausage and Okra

Cajun Week Day 2!

Hey everyone, guess what, it's Days 2 of Cajun Week, and Peter from Feed Your Soul Too and I are just getting warmed up!

I decided to create some real southern comfort food today with my Smothered Chicken, Shrimp, Sausage and Okra. This is the perfect dish to warm the soul.  

Also make sure you don't forget it's still time to enter the Sucre Macaron (entry below) Giveaway!

Although this dish may appear to have a lot of steps...each one has it's place for creating a flavorlicous finish.

I started off by sauteing my okra and vegetables, adding a little vinegar to the okra. My mother says it takes away any bitterness and makes the okra tender.

Next I browned my seasoned chicken drummettes, and then I browned my smoked sausage.

All of these ingredients are than added to a big pot and covered in chicken broth and hot tomato sauce. Add the bay leaves, don't forget to remove before serving. Allow the mixture to cook about 20-30 minutes before adding your shrimp.

Add more broth if needed to thin sauce. Sometimes when my mother makes this dish, she adds a little gumbo roux for color...or a flour/water slurry to thicken the gravy...

After about 1 hour of cooking time and a big pot of hot rice, it's time to eat! This dish is perfect with hot, buttered, cornbread.

Look what Peter at Feed Your Soul Too created for Day 2 of Cajun Week.This Creole Chili looks beyond delicious!

Smothered Chicken, Shrimp, Sausage and Okra

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken drummettes
1 lb. okra, fresh
1 lb. andouille sausage, smoked
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 cups chicken broth
6 ounces hot tomato sauce
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 Roma tomato, seeded, diced
2 tablespoons creole seasoning
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 bay leaves
extra virgin olive oil
hot rice

For a Thickener:

1 cup water
2 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Mix seasoning blend together and set aside.

Season chicken with 2 tablespoons of seasoning blend, mix well and set aside.

Season shrimp with 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend, mix well and set aside. 

In a large pan heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, tomato, onion, and diced okra. Season with 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend, saute for about five minutes, add vinegar and cook 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan over medium heat. Add chicken and brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add sausage to pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned.

Add veggie mixture, chicken, and sausage back to the pan. Cover with chicken broth and hot tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add flour/water slurry if needed or a tablespoon of gumbo roux, mix well. Add shrimp and cook 15 minutes more. Serve over hot rice. Enjoy!

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