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Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo

    Ingredients

    Roux:
     
    • 3/4 cup flour
    • 3/4 cup vegetable oil (can also use bacon drippings

       

    Gumbo:

    • 1 pound smoked sausage (Andoullie preferred), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise 
    • 1.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, or whole legs
    • Roux (recipe above)
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 2 ribs celery, diced
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced
    • 4 cloves garlic, diced
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    • 1 tablespoon of Louisiana seasoning
    • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
    • 1 tbsp white vinegar
    • 2 tsp Worchestershire suace
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 6 cups chicken broth
    •  (optional) 2 tsp file powder
    • Cooked white rice, for serving
    • Scallions, thinly sliced for serving

    Steps

    Roux:
     
    1. We’re making our roux in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Fill your favorite oven-safe pan with the bacon drippings. Add the flour, and whisk together until combined. Place your oven-safe pan in the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes, removing the pan every 20 minutes to stir the roux and to check for burning. The roux should resemble the color of milk chocolate. You can make your roux ahead of time. 
     
    Gumbo:
     
    1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a stockpot or pressure cooker liner over medium heat. Transfer your roux to the stockpot, and add the celery, onion, and bell pepper (“Trinity”), and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent the roux and garlic from burning.
    2. After sauteing the Trinity and the garlic in the roux, add your favorite Louisiana seasoning, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Pour in white vinegar, Worcestershire, and chicken broth. Stir to incorporate, and add kosher salt to taste.
    3. Add your andoullie sausage to the pot, followed by the chicken, seasoned with salt and black pepper. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for an hour, mostly covered, or place your pressure cooker to it’s High Pressure setting for 15 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, let the steam release naturally.
    4. Discard the bay leaves. Remove the chicken thighs and place in an ice-bath (to prevent further cooking). Once the chicken has cooled, shred by hand and set aside.
    5. Add the file powder to the gumbo, stirring to prevent clumps. Add the shredded chicken thighs back into the gumbo. Simmer for 10 minutes. 
    6. Serve the gumbo in bowls with your cooked rice on top. Garnish with scallions, and use the crispy bread to soak up any leftover juices.