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(Left) Firefighter Joseph Jennings
Company: Engine 27
Length of Service: 2 Years
Favorite Meal: Loves to grill tuna
“My deployment information is basic due to the fact that our exact location can't be given out until we are 30 days out. The name of my operation is "New Dawn". I am in the 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion based out of Hammond, La. My personal mission is to provide medical support to our soldiers on an everyday basis. I am a medic and will be working in the Battalion Aid Station providing healthcare to sick and injured soldiers. The deployment is 12 months long and a "soft" departure date of December has been given out.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 pound andouille or smoked sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Creole seasoning to taste
6 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 rotisserie chicken, boned and shredded
Melt some butter in your heavy bottomed pot.
Sprinkle your chicken with a lil bit of flour.
Brown in the butter (about 5 minutes) Remove.
In the same pot, using equal parts butter and flour, make your roux.
Once the roux has reached the dark chocolate stage, add the onion, bell pepper and celery.
In Louisiana, this is known as the Holy Trinity, almost every cajun/creole dish begins with this.
Add some salt, some pepper and a lot of garlic and saute all the veggies for a little while.
It doesn't matter how long of a little while as long as you don't let it burn. Add chicken back into the pot.
Start adding your water or broth slowly, stirring the whole time.
You will know when you have enough by how thick or thin your gravy is.
If you want thinner gravy, more stock, if you want thicker gravy, less stock.
Season with more salt, more pepper and the cajun seasoning blend.
Bring just to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.
Add sausage.
Allow to cook long enough for the chicken to began to fall of off the bones or until people are hovering over you trying to snitch spoonfuls of it behind your back.
(about an hour and a half?)
Serve over rice
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