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Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Source of Recipe

From "Martha's American Food" by Martha Stewart


Recipe Introduction

"The signature stew of New Orleans, gumbo truly bears the imprint of nearly every ethnic group to have settled in the Crescent City. The name derives from the African gumbo, meaning 'okra,' a key ingredient. The French contributed roux (a paste made of flour and cooking fat), here cooked until it's 'brown,' much darker than in any French dish. Spain is the source of the dish's rice, and the seasonings are borrowed from the Caribbean. And some versions, including the familiar shrimp-and-andouille one, are thickened with filé powder, made from ground sassafras leaves, which comes from the Choktaw tribe of Native Americans. You will also find ample examples of gumbo made with chicken and okra, including the one here, which also features the 'holy trinity' of Cajun and Creole cooking; celery, onion, and bell pepper. No matter the type of gumbo, it is always served over rice."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 10 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 ½ pounds), skin removed
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
â—¦ 1 pound andouille sausage (about 6 links), cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil, such as safflower
â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 3 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch dice
â—¦ 1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch dice
â—¦ 1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
â—¦ 12 ounces okra, trimmed and sliced crosswise ½ inch thick
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
â—¦ 2 dried bay leaves
â—¦ 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
â—¦ 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
â—¦ 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon filé powder


Recipe

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook andouille in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add ½ cup oil to pot; swirl to collect any loose browned bits, strain mixture through a fine sieve, and discard solids.

Wipe pot clean; pour in strained oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Gradually sprinkle in flour, stirring until incorporated. Cook, stirring often, until roux is deep brown, about 30 minutes, reducing heat if necessary. If roux begins to smoke, remove pot from heat for a few minutes, then resume cooking.

Add celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pot with roux. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, and reducing heat if roux is smoking, until vegetables have softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in okra; cook until bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf, and season with salt.

Gradually stir the stock into vegetable mixture, stirring and scraping bottom of pot until thoroughly combined. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, and add the chicken; raise heat and bring to a boil. Add andouille, and reduce heat to a steady simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender when pierced with a fork and sauce is thickened, about 40 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate; when cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones, and return to pot; discard bones. Remove bay leaves from pot and discard; stir in filé powder. Serve gumbo hot over rice.

Serves 8