Mrs. Mooney's Secret Gumbo

1.In a large bowl combine the chopped peppers (red, green and orange), chopped celery, and onion. Set aside.

2.In a small to medium size bowl combine the oregano, thyme, basil, creole seasoning, chili powder, pepper and salt. Set aside.

3.Before you begin the next step, make sure you have completed steps 1 and 2. It is very important to have all your ingredients prepped and ready go.

4.Grab a seat. No literally, grab a sit. You cannot walk away from the roux over the next 20-30 minutes. Heat a large heavy bottom soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil and flour to the pot and whisk to combine. Stir the roux EVERY 15-25 SECONDS. You will be able to smell the flour starting to brown. Continue to gently brown flour without burning it until the mixture turns the color of peanut butter or a dark caramel. This can take 30 minutes or so but it is the heart of the recipe. If you burn it, start over. This time just keep stirring and keep an eye on it! It took me 25 minutes to achieve a dark peanut butter color.

5.Once you have your roux made, add all your vegetables (everything in the bowl). The roux will bubble and thicken up immediately into a paste which coats the vegetables. Let the veggies cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes or so. Sprinkle spice mixture and chopped garlic over the vegetables, stir and cook 3 minutes longer.

6.Add chicken broth, canned tomatoes, chicken, and sausage to the pot. Bring the gumbo to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

7.Once the meat has cooked through, lightly shred the chicken. Serve over rice.