South Louisiana Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato paste
• Salt and pepper
• Meat tenderizer
• Accent (optional)
• Season-All
• Cayenne pepper
• 3 large onions
• 1/2 bunch celery
• 1 bunch shallots
• 1/4 green bell pepper
• 1 large can mushrooms stems and pieces
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 5 bay leaves
• 1/2 squeezed lemon, with rind
• Accent
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup sweet red wine

Instructions

1. In a large, iron pot, slowly heat oil and flour, stirring all the while. Keep fire low as possible and stir constantly with a spatula, for this roux burns easily. Cook until the roux is the color of milk chocolate.
2. Meanwhile, prepare an additional roux of tomato sauce and tomato paste.
3. In another iron skillet, combine tomato paste and tomato sauce and cook over very low flame, stirring constantly. This usually takes longer than the flour roux. The roux will be done when it turns a dark brown color.
4. While the roux is being cooked, season chicken that has been cut into small pieces by sprinkling on salt and pepper, meat tenderizer, Accent, Season-All and cayenne pepper. Dip each piece in flour and brown on all sides. Set aside.
5. Finely chop onions, celery, shallots and bell pepper. Sauté in the finished flour roux until vegetables are tender, stirring constantly. If the roux begins to stick, add a very small amount of oil.
6. Add the browned chicken, mushrooms, tomato roux and enough water to give a good liquid consistency, but not watery. Bring to boil, then immediately turn down to simmer.
7. Add brown sugar, bay leaves, lemon juice with rind, Accent, oregano, Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 hours, or until chicken begins to fall off the bone.
8. Fifteen minutes before the chicken is done, add 1 cup of any sweet red wine, the sweeter the better.
9. Serve over cooked spaghetti.