Chicken:
1(3 pound) whole chicken
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 cups chopped celery
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
Gumbo:
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup flour
1 large onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, diced
3 large stalks celery, diced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound andouille sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into quarter-inch pieces
2 quarts chicken stock, (reserved from cooking chicken)
1 generous tablespoon Creole seasoning
1 bunch (6 to 8) green onions, sliced
½ cup minced parsley
For chicken, rinse bird and place in a 10-quart stockpot with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Add onion, celery, carrots, salt and pepper. Once pot comes back to a boil, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently until chicken is just cooked, about one hour. Turn heat off and let chicken and vegetables sit until cool enough to handle and chicken is very tender. Carefully remove from the pot and place in a large bowl. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and pull off chicken meat and place it in a separate bowl. Discard skin and the bones. Strain stock through a colander into another stockpot. Discard solids.
For gumbo, make a roux by heating oil over moderately low heat in a heavy 7- to 9-quart Dutch oven. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly and adjusting heat to your comfort level, until flour turns to a medium-brown color being careful not to burn roux. This can take from 20 to 30 minutes, whisking constantly. When desired color is achieved, add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and continue to cook over moderately low heat, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften. Then stir in sausage and continue to cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft. Add hot stock, slowly at first, to incorporate completely. Stir in Creole seasoning. Bring pot up to a boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add chicken meat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add small amounts of stock if necessary. Add green onions and parsley and continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings, adding more Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Serve with potato salad and French bread.
