Creole Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until it glints. Add the onions, celery, and green peppers, then cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the garlic and cook just until you can smell it, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stock, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and thyme, and stir everything together.
3. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer until it has thickened a little, about 20 minutes.
4. Take out the bay leaves and discard them. Stir in the butter until it is fully melted, then remove the pan from the heat and mix in the parsley and green onions. Season with salt, pepper, and more hot sauce to taste. Store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.