The folks who frown on jarred roux are ridiculous. Is it ok if I use a rice cooker or do I need to do that on the stovetop too? If you want to really get into cooking then you can make your own roux a few times just so that years from now, when you're stuck in colorado and can't find any jarred, you can grab some flour and oil and make the gumbo anyway. If you like Richards - then you should use their roux and sausage (I pick some up everytime I drive back from Lafayette.) Another tip is that I often just use a pack of chicken thighs rather than dealing with whole chickens anymore. They have the most flavor and are the easiest to debone after cooking if you're so inclined. The boneless skinless chicken breasts in the recipe above is the worst idea I've ever heard. Skin and bones add half the flavor, and white meat alone does not a gumbo make. And personally - I'd scratch the tomatoes and oregano from the recipe above unless you truly prefer a creole gumbo to a cajun one.
i have perfected my gumbo.. simple, but good... 1 jar of Richard's roux 1 lb boneless chicken thighs 1 lb richards green onion sausage 1 whole onion, chopped 1 whole green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup green onions 1/4 cup parsley 2 bay leaves I spice mine with tony's, cayenne pepper, garlic, tabasco, black pepper... i just throw it all into a pot and let it cook for at least an hour... usually just all day though..
