CREOLE CHICKEN BISQUE, ASHTON STYLE # 197

Any time you use the word Creole or New Orleans, or Cajun several things come to mind: spicy, hot, red,and a variety of ingredients such as okra, crawfish, shrimp,and crab. This recipe is a soup that incorporates several of the ingredients that together make a great dish that one does not have to be Cajun or from New Orleans to enjoy.
I urge you to try making this spicy Cajun style soup that is creamy as well as has a little heat and is good for the soul!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 frying or stewing chicken
2 1/2 qts of water
3/4 cup flour
2 onions, peeled, cut in half
and sliced
4 carrots, peeled and cut into
slices
4 stalks of celery cut into
slices
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
and minced
1 cup of red peppers from a jar cut into
pieces or homemade by burning the skin off over
a flame, thrown in a bag and then peeled
2 cups mushrooms such as crimini or button
all the chicken meat cut minced
1 qt of homemade Italian tomato sauce
2 qts half and half
2 tbls cajun seasoning
2 tbls Millers or equivilent Chicken Base

DIRECTIONS:
1. pour the 2 1/2 qts of water in a large
soup pot
2. put the chicken into the water and boil
then simmmer 1 1/2 hrs
3. add the chicken base and Cajun spice into the pot and
continue to simmer
4. pour 1 1/2 cups of virgin olive oil into
a large fry pan over moderate heat
5. put the onions, peeled,carrots, garlic,red peppers and
mushrooms into the fry pan and saute until
all is slightly brown a good 10 to 15 minutes over
moderately low heat stiring every once in a while
6. add the tomato sauce and stir it into the bisque
until well incorporated
7. add the chicken pieces into the pan and stir in well
and saute about 30 to 40 minutes
8. add the two qts of half and half and stir in well
until all the ingrediens are well incorporated;
9. remove all the meat from the bones and chop up into
small pieces and put into the pot
10.using a stand up blender (motorboat) blend until the
bisque is smooth
11. taste bisque for salt and flavor
12. you can add additional cajun seasoning if you want
the bisque to be hotter
13. this recipe will serve 6 to 8 or more generously