Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo

Season the chicken thighs on both sides and let them sit 10 to 15 minutes as a quick dry brine.

Cut the andouille into one inch coins, then quarter the coins into roughly one inch cubes.

Brown the sausage in a little oil in a 12 inch nonstick pan over medium high about five minutes, until 60 to 75% has dark colour; move it to a bowl.

Brown the chicken thighs in the same pan about 15 minutes, flipping at 10, to about 80% cooked; rest on a plate.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of water and pour it into the stock.

Dice the onion medium to large and cut the celery and poblanos; have all the knife work done before the roux.

In a heavy Dutch oven over medium, whisk the neutral oil and flour together.

Stir and cook the roux 30 to 45 minutes, lowering the heat as it moves, through beige, peanut butter and mahogany to the lighter side of melted dark chocolate; start over if it goes dark and acrid.

Arrest the roux with the onion, celery and poblanos and a strong pinch of salt, scraping the corners with a wooden spoon.

Sweat five to seven minutes until the trinity softens and the browning stops.

Add the minced garlic and sweat two minutes.

Whisk the gelatin and bouillon base into the stock, then add the fortified stock to the pot a little at a time to hydrate the roux without clumps.

Bring slowly to a simmer and cook about three minutes until it starts to thicken.

Cut the seared chicken into roughly one inch bite sized cubes.

Add the chicken drippings, the diced chicken, the seared sausage and the okra.

Bring to a lazy bubble and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the sausage and chicken are tender.

At about 15 minutes skim off the oil and the okra scum that aggregates at the side.

Kill the heat and stir in the hot sauce, paprika, cayenne and black pepper.

Taste for salt at the very end and add one more pinch.

Plate with a balance of okra, trinity, sausage, chicken and broth, a scoop of long grain rice in the middle, and a few pieces of scallion.