Louisiana Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Louisiana chicken and sausage gumbo is what’s cooking in the Places In The Home kitchen today.

“Cajun cuisine is a technique-driven cuisine, because
it’s a very humble style of cooking.
It’s about what can you do with humble ingredients
like onions, celery, bell peppers, oil, and flour.
How can you intensify flavors and create meals
that are satisfying and hearty and make you happy.”

—Frank Brigsten

Roux:

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Heat oil in a black skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add flour in gradually, stirring well. Reduce heat to low.

Stir/whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches a rich brown color, approximately 30-40 minutes. You must stir/whisk constantly to prevent the roux from burning.

Black flakes indicate burned roux, and burned roux tastes horrible.  If you burn it, throw it out and start over.

Start over?

Yes. Start over.

It’s worth it.

If making traditional roux from scratch is not for you Kary’s Roux in a jar has got your name written all over it.

Now, let’s gumbo!

Louisiana Chicken and Sausage Gumbo 

Ingredients

8 cups water

4 cups chicken broth

traditional roux; see recipe below (or 8 ounces of instant roux from jar)

6-8  chicken thighs
**Substitution: meat from cooked deli rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 pound andouille or smoked sausage, sliced

1  bag (12 ounce) frozen chopped onions

1 bag (12 ounce) frozen chopped bell peppers

½ cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon celery seed

4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons fine black pepper or to taste

-OR-
in place of salt and pepper season with 1 Tablespoon Créole seasoning or to taste

1  cup white wine, optional

cooked rice for serving

Directions

Roux

Heat oil in a black skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add flour in gradually, stirring well. Reduce heat to low.

Stir/whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches a rich brown color, approximately 30-40 minutes. You must stir/whisk constantly to prevent the roux from burning.

Gumbo:

Slice smoked or andouille sausage into ½ inch pieces. Using a seasoned skillet for optimum taste results, cook the sliced sausage over medium-high heat until browned.

Transfer cooked smoked or andouille sausage to plate lined with paper towels, allowing excess grease to drain. Set aside.

Place chicken in gumbo or stock pot, add water, and bring to a boil.  Add celery seed, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper to season.

Stir and reduce heat to medium low; cook chicken until done. Transfer chicken from pot to large mixing bowl. Retain stock. Shred chicken breasts and return to pot.

Turn heat back to medium high.  Add roux. Stir until roux dissolves.

Reduce heat to medium; add minced garlic, chopped onions, bell pepper, celery, bay leaves, parsley, chicken broth, remaining salt and black pepper (or Créole seasoning).

Creole-Cajun Seasoning

1/3  cup paprika

3  tablespoons dried oregano

3  tablespoons ground black pepper

2  tablespoons dried basil

1  tablespoon dried thyme

2  tablespoons salt

1  tablespoons cayenne pepper

1  tablespoon granulated onion

4  teaspoons dried thyme

4  teaspoons granulated garlic

In a medium bowl combine paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground black pepper, dried basil, salt, cayenne pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme and granulated garlic.  Stir to combine.

Can be stored in an airtight container for up to three months.

Carefully pour in white wine. Stir to blend and incorporate.

Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered for approximately 2 hours, allowing all flavors to marry. Remove bay leaves and skim any fat off top of gumbo.

Add chopped green onions and continue to simmer for additional 15 minutes.

Give gumbo a taste to see if you want to add more salt, pepper, garlic, Créole seasoning or chicken broth before serving.