Chicken & Sausage GUMBO!

Few things bring out the competitive banter in our kitchen quite like gumbo. Honestly, with a couple of chefs and self-proclaimed experts, it’s like dealing with a tribunal!

After a visit to New Orleans many years ago, one of our sons made it a point to make this rich and savoury dish – there’s a reason it’s designated the “official state cuisine of Louisiana” and he got me making it too.

We’ve had a lot of fun with gumbo; apparently my roux is never dark enough, I get frowned at when adding okra and I’m not a fan when he uses Spanish chorizo sausage….but……while we don’t have the history like those masters of the bayou….. I’m pleased to say our gumbos are simply delicious.

While there is a basic template, gumbo seems to always get personalized and they’re all good. So have fun with it and make it your own.

Here’s my version and it got high fives from the tribunal. I promise it’s worth the effort.

Enjoy

What is a Chicken & Sausage Gumbo?

A chicken and sausage gumbo is a seasoned Louisiana dish built atop a dark roux, layered with flavours of vegetables, stock, smoked sausage and chicken. The dish is usually thickened using okra or filé powder (ground sassafras) and unlike a Creole gumbo, a Cajun gumbo does not contain tomatoes.

Traditional Components & Fun Naming Conventions

The Roux: The roux is the character and foundation of the dish. It is made with a high smoke point oil and flour. The darker the roux the more intense and nuttier the flavour, but the less it will thicken. The traditional method takes 40 to 60 minutes of constant stirring, so be patient and careful not to splash as the oil gets very hot – put on a kitchen glove. Through the cooking process, your roux will change colour from white, to blond, to brown, to copper and finally to a dark chocolate. Most consider the roux ready for the next step at the “copper penny state or dark chocolate stage.

The Holy Trinity: Gumbo’s version of a mirepoix or sofrito, swapping out carrots for green pepper to go with celery and onion. When added, the holy trinity cools the roux which will further darken and build upon the foundation of flavour.

The Pope: Garlic and lots of it.

The Blessing: When finished, the gumbo pot (garnishing the pot) or individual servings are often topped with green onions or parsley.

The Chicken: Use any combination of chicken meat; thighs, breasts, drums or a whole chicken. We like using a whole chicken that we cook, or sometimes we purchase a rotisserie, along with additional pieces providing a good combination of dark and white meat. Save the meat and toss the carcase, bones and skin into a pot for stock.

The Smoked Sausage: The tradition is to use a smoked andouille sausage but a quality smoked sausage like Spanish chorizo or kielbasa including non pork based smoked sausages will work fine. The sausage is cut into ¼ inch rounds and browned in a bit of oil, saving the rendered fat as a flavour base for the roux. My preference is to use andouille sausage.

The Stock: While the roux gets all the chatter, in my books the stock is also key. Store bought stocks are convenient and always an option, but do not live up to making your own. It’s really easy and if you are already using a whole cooked chicken, why not?

Making Chicken Stock

Here’s what I do:

Makes 10 cups of chicken stock.

• Add carcase, bones and skin from all chicken pieces to a pot
  • Make sure to add any drippings from the cooked chicken
• Add a few chopped carrots, celery and a couple of small onions
• If I have some stock bouillon around, I add some
• Add 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp salt
  • Sometimes I add more spices and even Cajun seasoning, but keep in mind we will be adding these to the gumbo when cooking
• Add 12 cups of water
• Bring pot to a boil and allow to simmer with lid off for 1 hour, occasionally stirring
  • Sample from time to time and adjust seasoning as needed
• Strain and make ready for use

Thickening Your Gumbo: Gumbo can be thickened by using okra or ground sassafras called filé. My preference is to use okra which is added during the last 20 minutes of stewing. Fresh okra is not always available and we have used frozen many times and found no difference.

What to Serve with Gumbo: We serve in a wide shallow bowl (like a pasta bowl) topped with a scoop of white rice and garnished with chopped green onion – additional hot sauce can be added. We also include crusty sourdough bread or a healthy piece of cornbread.

Another option is to serve topped or sided with a scoop of potato salad.

Getting Started

• This dish is not complicated, but there is a process to follow so get all the prep work out of the way.
• Gumbo gets better the next day and it also freezes well. Sometimes we prepare the day before our event.
• Making gumbo requires a heavy bottomed pot – we use a 6 quart enameled cast iron Dutch Oven. You will also need a metal whisk or flat edged wooden spatula/spoon or spurtle to stir the roux.
• Gumbo works well as an excellent appetizer or main course.

Ingredients – serves 8 to 10 main courses or 15 or so appetizers

The Proteins

• 2.5lbs plus of skinned and deboned cooked/baked chicken cut up into large bite size chunks
  • Use a whole seasoned chicken or purchased rotisserie chicken and additional pieces like thighs, breasts or drums as required
    • Keep the skin and bones for your stock if not using purchased stock
    • Some of the chicken will shred when stewing
    • Store in the fridge until required
• 1.5lbs smoked andouille sausage (if not smoked must be cooked)
  • Slice the sausage into ¼ inch rounds

The Holy Trinity

• Chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  • 1 large or 2 small onions – I use yellow onions, but use what you have
  • 1 large green pepper
  • 3 stocks of celery, leaves included
    • Optional – 1 jalapeno pepper (diced smaller than the trinity)
• Store in the fridge until needed

The Pope

• 6 to 8 good sized garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced – use less or more as desired

The Roux

• 1 cup high smoke point oil like vegetable/canola/peanut oil – we use canola or vegetable oil
• 1 1/3 cup of all purpose flour

Herbs, Spices, Sauces, Oil etc…

• 4 bay leaves
• Bundle of fresh thyme (5 or 6 sprigs or 1 tsp of dried)
• 1 or 2 TBSP Cajun spice. I use Slap Ya Mama but use what you have
• 1 or 2 TBSP hot sauce – like sriracha or any hot red sauce
  • *****Remember to taste test for desired level of spices. We usually add 1 TBSP of each and sprinkle in more when the gumbo is stewing
• 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 TBSP of oil (same oil as used for the roux) to help with searing the sausage
• 2 tsp crushed black pepper
• Optional: 1 tsp white pepper – adds more depth and heat
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • The above three peppers are sometimes referred to as the holy trinity of peppers
• 1 tsp salt…maybe more
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cups of okra
• Chopped green onion or parsley as required for garnishing each serving

Method

Step #1: Set large heavy bottom pot on medium to medium high heat

• Add 1 TBSP oil and sausage, occasionally stir for 7 to 10 minutes
• When the sausage is browned, remove the sausage leaving the fat

Step #2: Add 1 cup of oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking

• Add flour, about 1/4 cup at a time continually stirring using a whisk, wooden spoon/spatula or spurtle
• Continue to stir for the next 40 to sixty minutes or until the roux reaches the desired colour
• Pay close attention as the process will quicken as the roux darkens
  • If the roux burns, you will need to start this step over
• Colour will change from white to blond, to brown, to copper (copper penny) to a dark chocolate
• A copper penny or dark chocolate hue is where you want to be
• Note: The roux will further darken when the holy trinity is added

Step #3: Slowly stir in the holy trinity

• Be careful not to splash as the roux is extremely hot (wear a kitchen glove)
• The roux will instantly cool down
• Add salt and continue to stir for 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened

Step #4: Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes

Step #5: Stir in 8 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups at a time to ensure proper blending

• Add bay leaves, herbs, Worcestershire, black/white pepper, cayenne, Cajun spice, sriracha (adjust to your liking)
  • ****Add 1 TBSP of Cajun seasoning and hot sauce to start
  • As desired more can be added during the simmering process – sample….sample…..sample!!
  • Keep in mind, the gumbo will cook down and intensify

• Bring to a boil and turn the heat down, allowing to simmer for 1 hour lid off – occasionally stirring

Step #6: Stir in the chicken and sausage

• Bring to a boil and turn down allowing to simmer for an additional 1 hour
• Sample for flavour and adjust as required
  • Note: If too much of the stock has cooked off you can add more

Step #7 : Stir in okra and let the gumbo simmer for 20 minutes occasionally stirring.

Your gumbo is ready to serve, or let cool and place in the fridge to serve the next day.

Hip, Hip, Hooray ….. You’ve made a fine Louisiana dish!

Enjoy your gumbo.

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