chicken and sausage Gumbo
⬆️ Watch the video here ⬆️
ingredients:
2 yellow onions
2 green bell peppers
5-6 stalks celery
6 cloves garlic
2 cups okra
2 bay leaves
16 boneless chicken thighs
1.5-2 lbs andouille sausage
1 cup canola oil
1 cup all purpose flour
8-10 cups water
8 tsp chicken bouillon (better than bouillon is the brand I prefer)
salt
pepper
1 tsp filé powder
olive oil
garnish:
green onions
hot sauce
substitutions:
Authentic andouille sausage can be difficult to locate outside of the state of Louisiana. If you’re unable to find andouille sausage, you can use any high quality pork sausage in its place. If you prefer, you can use chicken broth in place of bouillon. Just use chicken broth at any step “water” is added. Also, you can use frozen okra in place of fresh okra, or leave it out altogether if you prefer. Traditionally, okra is used a thickening agent, however this recipe negates a lot of those properties secondary to the way the okra is prepared beforehand. The filé powder also serves as a thickening agent as well.
Preparation:
In a large bowl, salt and pepper the chicken thighs, cover and place in the refrigerator.
Next dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery, set aside. Mince the garlic, set aside separately from other veg.
If using bouillon, dilute into 8 cups water.
In a thick bottom pot on medium, pour 1 cup oil. Slowly add flour, whisking all the while. Gumbo is all about the roux, it’s the most challenging part of this recipe. Not to say that it’s difficult to make, it just takes time. Generally speaking, it will take about 20-30 minutes to make the roux. During this time, you will need to stir or whisk the roux until it has reached a deep brown (almost the color of melted chocolate), in order to prevent it from burning. If you notice black flakes or specks in the roux, the flour has likely burned and will cause the gumbo to taste bitter. Again, it’s not hard to do, it just takes a little patience and attention.
Once the roux has reached the desired color, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the mixture. Continue to stir for another 3-5 minutes. The roux will be very hot so be careful when you add the vegetables, as this can generate a lot of steam.
Once the veg has cooked down a little, add 4 cups of water/bouillon mixture (or 4 cups of chicken broth), stirring continuously. If you’ve never made gumbo before this is the part that you’ll panic and think that you’ve done something wrong after spending all of that time on the roux. It’s okay, it’s normal for the mixture to look lumpy and unappealing at this stage. As the gumbo continues to cook, the roux will eventually blend with the broth and all of those little globs will go away.
Next add the minced garlic, cook until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
Once everything has blended, add another 4 cups water/bouillon (or broth). It will likely look lumpy again but will smooth out as the gumbo continues to cook just like before.
Add bay leaves, pinch of salt and black pepper. Cover and allow to cook on low while you prepare the other ingredients.
If using fresh okra, place on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast in the oven @ 400° for about 8-10 minutes. Cooking the okra prior to adding it to the gumbo will help to alleviate a lot of that sliminess. If you’d prefer, you can also boil the okra for 5-10 minutes, however I think roasting it adds an additional depth of flavor to the gumbo. If using frozen okra, I recommend boiling it versus trying to roast it. Dice and set aside.
On medium high heat, drizzle some olive oil into a skillet. Sear the chicken thighs in batches, roughly 2-3 minutes for each side. The chicken SHOULD NOT be cooked all the way through during this step, you’re only trying to get a nice sear on each side, set aside and allow to cool. Once the chicken is cool enough to touch, cut into small slices and add to the gumbo.
In the same skillet sear the andouille sausage in batches, roughly about 2-3 minutes. Add to the gumbo.
While the pan is still hot, add 1/4 cup water and deglaze pan using a whisk. Add pan water to the gumbo. This step is optional, but I highly recommend it, as it adds another layer of flavor to the gumbo.
Cover and allow to cook for another 30-45 minutes.
Add the okra and filé powder. Cook for another 15-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
If the roux is too thick, incrementally add more water until desired consistency is reached.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with rice. Garnish with hot sauce and green onions.
Enjoy.
