Chicken-Andouille Gumbo

Ok. I had noooo idea gumbo took over four hours to make. I started this dish around 4 pm and just finished it. It's 9 pm. Mother of .... This seems like a great dish to make when you want to cook all day. hahaha I didn't make the rice (yet) since Superbowl is tomorrow. Also, I have SO MUCH of this. I'm afraid I might be eating it for weeks. Hopefully everyone devours it! The dish is really creamy (like a comforting familiar stew) with a hint of creole spice. The hand pulled chicken is tender and hearty while the andouille packs a punch in diced up nuggets. The flavors build on each other (as they better! They've been cooking all day!). This should be a winner for New Orleans' Superbowl Sunday!

Make it:

1 1/2 gallons water
1 (4-pound) chicken, cut up (My chicken was about 6 pounds)
5 bay leaves
5 parsley sprigs
3 whole garlic cloves
Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large stockpot; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken, reserving broth. Skin, bone, and coarsely chop chicken; set aside. Pour broth through a wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding solids. Measure 1 gallon broth, and return to stockpot.

1 pound andouille or smoked sausage, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large celery rib, chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
4 chicken bouillon cubes
Add sausage and next 5 ingredients; simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat; gradually whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is a dark caramel color (about 20 minutes). Stir into sausage mixture, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.

And then...

1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Stir in chicken, salt, and red and black pepper; simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Skim off fat.

And then...

1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon filé powder (this is Sassafras leaves - which I couldn't find. I used 1 teaspoon of Blackened Creole seasoning)
Hot cooked rice
Stir in green onions and parsley; simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in filé powder. Serve over hot cooked rice with hot sauce, if desired.