Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Serves
6
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min

Ingredients

Gumbo

  • 6tbspbutter, salted
  • 6tbspall-purpose flour
  • 2401mlcupcelery, diced
  • 2401mlcupyellow onion, diced
  • 2401mlcupred bell pepper, diced
  • 2401mlcupgreen bell pepper, diced
  • 6clovesgarlic, minced
  • 4802mlcupsandouille sausage, sliced, about 4 links
  • 90532gozchicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
  • or 90532gozchicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 9604mlcupschicken stock
  • 1tspdried thyme leaves, not ground
  • 11/2tsppaprika, not smoked
  • 1tspgarlic powder
  • 2bay leaves
  • 1tspkosher salt
  • 1tspblack pepper, ground
  • 1tspcayenne pepper, optional

Thickener (optional)

  • 1tbspcornstarch

To serve

  • white rice, cooked, for serving
  • green onion, sliced, for garnish
  • Louisiana hot sauce, for serving

Equipment

  • large Dutch oven or large pot
  • whisk
  • wooden spoon

Steps

Gumbo

  1. Prep everything before you start, because the gumbo comes together quickly: chop the vegetables and chicken, slice the sausage and measure out the spices.

  2. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat.

  3. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the roux turns a dark golden brown, . Don't walk away, or the roux can burn.

  4. Stir in the onion, bell peppers and celery. Cook for about , stirring them into the roux with the wooden spoon, until they soften a little.

  5. Add the garlic, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, bay leaves and cayenne, if using. Cook for more, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot.

  6. Add the chicken and sausage and cook for about , just to start cooking the chicken. It won't be cooked through yet, and it's fine if it looks like a sticky mess.

  7. Pour in the chicken stock slowly, scraping up any stuck bits from the bottom of the pot.

  8. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for , until the chicken is cooked through and the broth thickens. The gumbo can't really overcook, so it can simmer on low until you're ready to eat.

Thickener (optional)

  1. For a thicker gumbo, scoop about 120 ml1/2 cup of the soup into a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch with a fork. Stir the slurry back into the gumbo and cook for a few minutes more, until it thickens.

Serve

  1. Remove the bay leaves.

  2. Serve over bowls of the rice, garnished with the green onion and a dash of hot sauce.

Notes

  • Sausage: traditional andouille is best, but any smoked sausage works. For a milder, kid-friendly gumbo, use a mild sausage.
  • Cayenne: start with 1 tsp if you want it spicy.
  • Roux: never stop whisking or stirring; left even for a second, the flour can burn.
  • The author uses a Le Creuset cast-iron Dutch oven.

Variations

Green peppers only: for the classic version, use only green bell peppers.

With okra: add okra, which also thickens the gumbo.

Seafood gumbo: add raw shrimp at the end and cook just until pink, right before serving.

Source: www.freutcake.com