Gumbo at home!

I needed to use up some leftover chicken thighs recently and thought that I'd try some gumbo.  Since I don't have access to killer seafood here in Chicago, I made do with canned clams and crab meat.  It was still delicious!  Here's the photo:

I've moved beyond using recipes that much, but here's a basic outline for what I did:

1) stir together an equal mix of olive oil and flour to create a classic roux; let it brown for a few minutes

2) stir in and saute chopped green pepper and onion

3) I added in leftover chicken thighs and continued sauteing, adding a bit more oil as needed

4) stir in a couple of cups of water and a chicken bouillon cube (or broth if you have it)

5) after some cooking time (20-30 minutes), remove the chicken thighs so you can cool them and hand shred the chicken for adding afterwards

6) add some frozen chopped okra pieces assuming you cannot get good fresh okra (I couldn't), also add a 16 oz. can or two of chopped tomatoes (depending on the quantity you desire)

7) add back the shredded chicken, a can or two of canned chopped clams and crabmeat

8) chop some cooked Andouille sausage and add to the mix.  Season the pot with cayenne, salt, and thyme to taste

9) let it simmer a half hour longer or more

I served it over some cooked white rice.  Next time, I will actually skip the chicken altogether and focus on the seafood, sausage, and vegetables.  The sausage added the most flavor and I'd like to try some shrimp and oysters next time.  In Chicago you do the best you can with the ingredients available but the chicken was kind of lame!  The okra, however frozen, turned out to be the highlight of the dish!