Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

A dark roux cooked slowly to the color of chocolate, the holy trinity of onion, pepper and celery, smoky andouille and tender chicken thighs.

Prep

25 min

Cook

2 hr

Total

2 hr 25 min

Yield

8 servings

Ingredients

1 lb andouille sausage, sliced ¼ inch thick
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock, warmed
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
½ tsp cayenne pepper
4 green onions, sliced
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cooked white rice and filé powder, to serve

Method

Brown the andouille in a large heavy pot over medium heat, 5 minutes. Lift it out and set aside.
Add the oil and flour to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a flat wooden spoon, until the roux is the color of dark chocolate, 30 to 45 minutes.
Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Stir for 5 to 7 minutes as they soften and cool the roux. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the warm stock, a ladle at a time, stirring until smooth.
Add the whole chicken thighs, sausage, bay leaves, thyme, Cajun seasoning and cayenne. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, skimming fat from the top.
Lift out the chicken, shred it and return it to the pot. Simmer 15 minutes more. Season with salt.
Stir in the green onions and parsley. Serve over rice, with filé powder at the table.

Kitchen note

If you see black specks in the roux, it has burned. Throw it out and start again. A burnt roux makes the whole pot bitter.

Where it comes from

Gumbo blends West African, French, Spanish and Choctaw cooking. Its name likely comes from a West African word for okra.