Ramadan’s Seafood Gumbo featuring New Africa Chicken Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 lg. green pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 – 12 oz. pkgs. Tayyib brand large halal chicken sausage links
• 3 lbs. Crescent halal boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs
• 12 oz. package crawfish tails
• 3 – 6 oz. cans chopped clams
• 3 - 6 oz. cans white crab meat
• 1 lb. crab legs (optional)
• 2 lbs. large (40-60 count) cooked shrimp
• 2 – 1 lb. packages frozen chopped okra
• 2 – 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp. gumbo file powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 6 quarts of water (more if needed)
• Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation

1. In a 16 quart stock pot, boil chicken breasts and thighs along with celery, onions, and green pepper in 3 quarts of water until chicken is no longer pink inside. Save broth. Remove chicken and cut into one-inch chunks, set aside.
2. Spray large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. In ¼ cup olive oil, brown chicken sausage. Remove and cut into bite-sized pieces. In same skillet saute garlic. Add remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Slowly add flour to skillet. As mixture begins to brown, slowly add 3 cups of water while stirring constantly to create gumbo roux. Add remaining spices to skillet. Bring to a boil, turn off. 
3. Add rice to stock pot; bring to a boil 20 minutes. Add roux spice mixture to stock pot. While stirring constantly, add chicken, tomatoes, okra, crab meat, clams, crayfish tails, and shrimp. Add enough water to cover all ingredients. Simmer 20 minutes stirring constantly to ensure rice doesn’t burn on bottom of pot. 
4. Remove bay leaves (if you can see them) and serve.