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Drew's Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo

Source of Recipe

From "My New Orleans" by John Besh


Recipe Introduction

"Throughout this book, I've had a great deal to say about making the roux that's the base of our gumbo—and the other steps as well—but I'll recap it here so that it can be useful every time you start to make our signature dish. Yes, there are other thickeners besides flour that folks use for making their roux, but to my palate, only a flour-based roux yields that traditional flavor. As for the fats in a roux, just about anything works. I love rendered duck fat, chicken fat, or lard, but canola oil works nearly as well. I always heat the oil first and whisk the flour into the hot oil. Not only does this speed up the process; it yields that deep, dark chocolate-colored gumbo I love. I always add the onions first to the dark roux, holding back the rest of the vegetables until the onion caramelizes. Otherwise, the water in the vegetables will keep the onion from browning and releasing its sweet juices. I like to add filé powder to the gumbo, then pass it at the table, too. Serve the gumbo hot with Louisiana rice; serve potato salad on the side, if you like."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup rendered chicken fat or canola oil
â—¦ 1 cup flour
â—¦ 2 large onions, diced
â—¦ 1 large chicken, cut into 12 pieces
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
â—¦ 2 pounds spicy smoked sausage, sliced ½ inch thick
â—¦ 2 stalks celery, diced
â—¦ 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
â—¦ 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme
â—¦ 3 quarts chicken stock
â—¦ 2 bay leaves
â—¦ 6 ounces andouille sausage, chopped
â—¦ 2 cups sliced fresh okra
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
â—¦ Salt
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ Filé powder
â—¦ Tabasco
â—¦ 4 to 6 cups cooked white rice


Recipe

Make a roux by heating the chicken fat or oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil. It will immediately begin to sizzle. Reduce the heat to moderate and continue whisking until the roux takes on a deep brown color, about 15 minutes. Add the onions, stirring them into the roux with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until the roux is glossy dark brown, about 10 minutes.

Season the chicken with Creole seasoning. Add the chicken to the pot, raise heat to moderate, and cook, turning the pieces until browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the smoked sausage and stir for a minute before adding the celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the thyme, chicken stock, and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and skim off the fat from the surface of the gumbo every so often.

Add the andouille, okra, and Worcestershire and season with salt and pepper, several dashes of filé powder, and Tabasco. Simmer for another 45 minutes, continuing to skim the fat off the surface of the gumbo. Remove the bay leaves and serve in bowls over rice. Pass more filé at the table.

Serves 10 to 12