Louisiana Gumbo

Steps

1. Set your oven to 350°F.
2. In a heavy pot, combine the oil and flour. Stir constantly until it is well mixed in.
3. Place the pot in the oven for about 30-minute increments. After each 30 minutes, remove the pot, stir it, and return it to the oven. Repeat this process until the roux reaches your desired dark color (you can turn up the heat if you want it to cook faster).
4. In a separate area, place the chicken thighs and chicken breasts in a large stockpot with bouillon cubes.
5. Boil the chicken until cooked through (reaching 165°F). Do not worry about the flavor of the chicken as it will soak up the gumbo's flavor.
6. Remove the cooked chicken from the pot, place it on a pan to cool down so you can shred it. Save all the cooking water/stock.
7. While the chicken is cooking, begin preparing the vegetables: cut the onion, celery, and bell pepper into pieces, and mince the garlic cloves.
8. In your large stockpot (the one that will hold the gumbo), add a little oil and place the sliced sausage in it. Brown the sausage until the color changes and some fat renders out. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
9. Add the cut vegetables to the same pot used for browning the sausage. Cook them for a while, using any reserved stock or water to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan until they are soft.
10. Once the roux is ready (dark), add the cooked vegetables and stir them around in the pot.
11. Add two 32 oz containers of chicken stock to the pot. If possible, heat the stock beforehand so it mixes better with the roux; if not, turn up the heat to bring the liquid back to a boil.
12. Pour 2-4 cups of the reserved chicken water/stock into the gumbo and stir well to combine everything.
13. Add the browned sausage back into the pot.
14. Shred the cooked chicken (by hand or using a stand mixer) and add it to the pot, stirring around well.
15. Season the gumbo with 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and hot sauce. Add more seasonings as desired, tasting as you go.
16. Turn the heat down and simmer for at least 2 hours, preferably longer (up to four hours).
17. For best flavor, refrigerate the gumbo after cooking and reheat it the next day.