Smoked Cornish Game Hen & Sausage Gumbo

Smoking meats is one of the greatest pleasures known to a food lover, and it's not as difficult as one might imagine. You can intensify the smoky flavor of any dish by making a stock out of the bones of the meat you have smoked, as I have done in this dish. Ingredients: Two 20-ounce Cornish game hens 3 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning 3/4 gallon smoked hen stock* 1 cup Savoie's Dark Roux 1 pound smoked sausage, browned, sliced and drained 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons hot sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup minced parsley 4 cups cooked rice Directions: 1. Season Cornish hens with 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning and smoke in a conventional smoker. Allow hens to cool, de-bone and reserve bones for stock. Dice meat and set aside. 2. Place smoked hen stock* in large saucepot and bring to boil. Add Savoie's Dark Roux, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 3. Add smoked sausage, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons of Creole seasoning, Worcestershire, salt and hot sauce. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes. 4. Add diced Cornish hen meat and simmer for 15 minutes. 5. Stir in green onions and parsley. Divide rice into 8 large bowls and ladle in gumbo. Yields 8 servings. *Smoked hen stock: Cover hen bones with water. Add end pieces from onion, celery and bell pepper and bring to boil. Lower fire and simmer for 1one-half hours. Strain out solids and reserve stock. This can be done the day prior to cooking the gumbo. After stock is chilled, skim off the fat that rises to the top. Recipe compliments of Chef Patrick Mould.