Chicken Stew New Orleans Style

Coarsely chop the scallions. Dice the celery and bell pepper. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. In a plastic bag, combine flour, thyme and cayenne, and shake to mix. Add chicken and shake to coat lightly. Remove chicken and reserve excess flour mixture. In a large skillet, warm 1 Tbsp. of the butter in the oil over medium high heat until the butter is melted. Add the chicken and cook until it is browned all over, about 7 min. Remove chicken to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm. Add 1 remaining Tbs. butter to the skillet and heat until melted. Add the garlic and the reserved dredging mixture. Cook, stirring, until the flour is no longer visible, about 1 min. Add tomatoes and their juice, the chicken broth, scallions, celery, bell pepper, hot pepper sauce and bay leaf, and bring to a boil over medium-heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 min. Meanwhile, dice the sausage. Return the stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Return the chicken (and any juices that have accumulated on the plate) to the skillet along with the sausage, and heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 min. Remove the bay leaf before serving.