Chicken and sausage gumbo

[Pork Lord]

I have a bit of an industrious nature, so I am creating my own chicken stock for my gumbo. It will not be just any stock though, it shall be a smoked chicken stock! Here in Houston, we have a large Vietnamese population and they have these wonderful supermarkets called Hong Kong Market. Anyway, I did a lot of research on stock making and discovered that quality, rich, tasty chicken stocks are made with chicken feet for their gelatin as well So guess who is smoking chicken scraps on his pit as we speak?…This guy! I have no idea how long to smoke just scraps. I have 11 lbs of chicken scraps/ carcasses and two pounds of chicken feet getting ready to smoke on the pit at 225 for about 3-4 hours is my guestimation. As this progresses, I will post pics and the exact steps I took for good or ill. I am entering a gumbo cook off this Saturday and need a practice round for the wifey before Saturday. My plan is to make a rich, somewhat smokey chicken stock with smoked chicken and andoullie sausage. I even found pork sausage casings at this marvelous place which tempts me to perhaps make and smoke my own andoullie. Yes, I know a lot of work especially if I don't place. But I want to be able to say it's all home made…even the sausage. Updates and pics to come.

[Jon Solberg]

I'm looking forward to following this one bro.

[Pork Lord]

I Have to teach tomorrow so I will smoke the carcasses tonight, foodsaver/ cryovac them, then make the stock and roux tomorrow. We shall see. At this particular cook off, seafood gumbo usually wins (which is comparing apples and oranges when it comes to chicken/sausage they should have their own separate categories in my book) Hell, you could say each batch of gumbo some one makes is a crapshoot because they are al different. I just want to know I put my best foot forward win or lose.

[jmeier64]

Grabbing popcorn. Cannot wait for this to unfold. This is cool stuff here.

[cdd315]

... I just want to know I put my best foot forward win or lose.

You mean best chicken foot right??

[cdd315]

As a kid growing up on a farm we would butcher our own chickens. My mother always said that the best chicken soup came from chicken feet. I still buy farm raised chickens (can't beat the flavor of a farm raised chicken) and this last round that I bought the lady asked if I wanted any feet. I said sure and took home about 6 lbs. Smoking them for some soup might be a fine idea!! Thanks PL .. I might just start a thread to record this new adventure!! I hope your cook off is successful.

[Pork Lord]

Whelp, here is the first of many long steps gents. I smoked 12 lbs of carcasses and 2 1/3 lbs of feet for 3.5 hours at 250 degrees. I used a mixture of post oak and some pecan (only three small pieces) started with briquettes Cryovaced to lock in smoke until tomorrow. I cut off the nail from the feet as to help smoke penetrate I also cleaved the carcasses to expose as much of the marrow to the water tomorrow. I could be totally off on this, but so far so good. I'm going to bed now I have to edumacate our chitlins :-) in the morn.

[cdd315]

Well then get their book learn'n done and hurry back here dangit!! JK

[Pork Lord]

I'm gonna learn 'em reeeal good!

[Pork Lord]

Hey Cdd315..is that a steel head pike you got there in your avatar? Or maybe a speckled trout? Just curious.

[cdd315]

Nah, that's just a regular 7.5 lb Northern Pike caught at Besnard Lake in northern Saskatchewan. A buddy in our group pulled a 14 lb'r .. the head on that thing was huge! If you like fishing you should consider a trip .. get a guide though, the lake is full of rocks!

[Pork Lord]

Here is the stock simmering away at a low heat. I have been skimming away the sludge or big proteins that have risen to the surface. Only 3 more hours to go!….:-( stock is a b**ch…. drains you.

[Pork Lord]

Aromatics have been added! I used tongs and removed most of the carcasses and feet. I now added three leeks chopped (1/3 down the white root) three large carrots and two medium yellow onions coarsely diced. I mixed it all up and split it 50/50 by weight. I also added 3 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of coarse fresh ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of celery seed to each pot..because I can. 1 hour to go and then cool to place in mason jars for refrigeration, I'll skim the fat off when I get home from work tomorrow and make the roux then combine smoked chicken and andouille sausage. Damn I'm tired...

[Pork Lord]

By the way, please chime in if you are cocking your head to one side and saying "what the hell is that boy do'in?" If I'm making some mistakes I'm all ears and eyes. I have never attempted this before with a smoked chicken stock anyway.

[Pork Lord]

Damn, I need to get better at documenting my cooks. To let any of you know who care, I placed 5th out of 15 teams for my Gumbo. Not bad but I was going up against some strong competition.

[Huskee]

Congrats! I'd be proud of that! Yours was better than 10 others'.

[Jon Solberg]

Yeah man, we want to see them!

Congrats on the 5th. WTG!

[Pork Lord]

Thanks y'all! I think what hurt me was not enough of the "holy trinity" in the gumbo and that I could not locate a superior source for andouille. Got this next year!