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Chicken and sausage gumbo

Growing up in Houston, I was no stranger to chicken and sausage gumbo. The city’s close proximity to Louisiana’s Cajun country insured that I knew plenty of kids with family names such as Boudreaux, Guidry or Hebert, whose parents often had a big pot of the chunky soup simmering on the stove. After an afternoon of riding bikes, you could walk into one of these kitchens, grab a bowl and ladle a portion thick with smoky, succulent meats over a pile of rice. Gumbo is good and during the cold months it was almost as prevalent as chili in my part of town.

With the New Orleans Saints going to the Super Bowl for the first time, the decision about what to make on the big day is simple. Sure, quarterback Drew Brees may be a Texan but my Super Bowl plan is to cook a big pot of chicken and sausage gumbo. And while I’ve long been a gumbo eater for some reason, however, I’ve never been much of a gumbo maker. So when I needed advice, I turned to Ken Wheaton.

Ken Wheaton, who lives in Brooklyn but hails from Opelousas, Louisiana, is famous in certain New York City circles for his gumbo. So much that when his editor caught wind of his prowess, he insisted that Ken include his recipe in his excellent new novel, The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival.

Ken’s novel isn’t a food novel, per se. Nope, it’s a story about a confused Catholic priest struggling with his faith and vows. And while that may seem like a heavy topic, in Ken’s hands it’s a humorous, heartfelt story that will make you laugh and might even make you cry. But it will also make you hungry for both Cajun food and culture as Ken deftly captures small-town Louisiana life in all its church-going, Zydeco-dancing and gumbo-making glory. And yes, please note that there’s also lots of swearing, drinking and rabbit-stew eating—it’s not a book for the easily offended.

I won’t get into plot particulars, nor will I delve into any other English-major mumbo jumbo that I probably knew at one point but have long since forgotten. But do know this: Ken is an expert storyteller who has an amazing gift of creating a sense of place. And if you’ve been aching to spend some time in Cajun country with some colorful characters, his book will tide you over until you can enjoy the real thing.

Of course, you can also satisfy your hunger by making a batch of gumbo. Because I like to tinker, I messed with Ken’s method just a bit, but I followed his key rules to not add tomatoes, mushrooms or carrots. And while the word gumbo stems from the Bantu term for okra, kingombo, I didn’t add that as well even though it’s quite common to include it for both flavor and its thickening power.

If you’ve ever been intimidated by making gumbo, as I was, don’t be. The hardest part is making the roux (which I now do in the oven so it’s a snap) and waiting for the soup to be ready. And when you tuck into your bowl filled with a rich broth, smoky sausage and tender chicken, you’ll be happy that you made a batch. Your friends and family will thank you, too.

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5 from 3 votes

Chicken and sausage gumbo

Cook Time 4 hours
Servings 8
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

For the roux:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup canola oil

For the stock:

  • 1 4-pound chicken, cut into parts
  • 1 tablespoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black pepper
  • Pinch Cayenne
  • 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
  • 5 whole garlic cloves
  • 2 stalks celery, quartered
  • 2 bay leaves

For the gumbo:

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds andouille sausage, sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dry
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon filé powder plus more for serving
  • Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

  • To make your roux, in a large cast-iron skillet, mix the flour and the oil or grease. Place in an oven set at 350°F and let it cook for 2 hours (or until your desired color), stirring every 20 minutes.
  • While the roux is cooking, make the chicken and broth. First, season the chicken parts with the salt, black pepper and Cayenne. Place the chicken parts in a large pot with the quartered onions, whole garlic, quartered celery, bay leaves. Cover with water. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 hour.
  • After an hour, remove the chicken from the pot. When cool enough to handle, remove the fat and pick the meat off the bones and cut into pieces.
    Meanwhile, when the broth is cool enough to handle, strain the broth, discarding the vegetables. You should have about 8 quarts.
  • Clean the pot, then add 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Add the diced onions, celery, and bell pepper, and while stirring occasionally, cook for 10 minutes or until fragrant. Throw in the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Now stir in the roux and cook it with the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Add the chicken meat and sausage and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If things start to get sticky, pour in some water.
  • Slowly whisk in the strained chicken broth to the roux, vegetable, meat mixture. Throw in the bay leaves, thyme, and the Worcestershire, bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before it’s done, add the minced green onions and filé powder and check to see if it needs salt, black, and Cayenne pepper.
  • Remove the bay leaves and serve over cooked rice with file powder for people to add to their bowls.

Notes

Filé (pronounced fee-lay) powder is ground sassafras leaves. If your store doesn't carry it, it can be ordered for Cajun Grocer.

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87 Comments

  1. mary.mimi says:

    Totally awesome gumbo. I must admit I had fallen into the habit of using a gumbo mix.. because I may DISDAIN for making roux. This method was great and near foolproof… The taste is great and now my new fav go to comfort food. Thanx Lisa…
    It is SNOWING here in the Hill Country of TX today. Unbelievable.

  2. I can't wait to try this. I went to school in Beaumont and if there is one thing that I miss (besides all of the really great people) its GUMBO! I can't find authentic gumbo in Southern California so I'll just have to try and see if I can make it! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  3. I just came across your blog and I LOVE it! I'm from Texas but when my husband joined the Navy we had to move away. The food is one of the things I miss most!! I grew up around the Beaumont/Orange area right on the TX/Louisiana border. My maiden name is LeBlanc so it's safe to say I've eaten plenty of gumbo. The rest of the country doesn't know what it's missing!

    Keep up the good work!

  4. SweetRickey says:

    Oh man. I read your blog religiously as a Homesick Texan who moved to Brooklyn in 2000, and then to Nevada in 2006. Your posts frequently echo my own experiences (though I certainly never cooked much in NYC).

    Last Thanksgiving I searched EVERYWHERE for my Houston Grandma's Turkey Gumbo recipe…Now I will try this one. I doubt I can wait until November!

    By the way, can I just pay you for the book now–I want my copy the minute it comes out. <3 <3 <3,

  5. I ran across your blog today while searching for a Gumbo recipe. I cook Gumbo by memory, but I need to feed a larger group and was looking to find a recipe calculator to help me adjust…anyway…I have to thank you for the walk down memory lane.

    Kenneth, my husband and I went to the same high school, he was just a year or two behind us. I think it is awesome that he has a book out and can't wait to read it.

    It is just about a perfect recipe, and Kelly's Meat Market is definitely the way to go…my Father in Law will be delivering my order on Friday… The only thing that I would do different is to brown the meat in a cast iron skillet before adding to the stock pot. It adds another layer of flavor which is what Gumbo is all about.

    I will have to try the oven roux…I remember it being done when I was a kid, but just never tried it that way; we have been doing the stand at the stove and stir method. Thank you for saving me a few hours.

    I will post my recipe and pictures on our blog in a few days…