Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ~2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 8 oz andouille sausage, sliced into half moons
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 3/4 cup chopped celery (~3 stalks)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp file powder
Make the Dark Roux
Combine the flour and vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
Stir continuously with a wooden spoon – and I mean continuously. The mixture will slowly darken from blonde to brown to deep chocolate over the course of ~45-60 minutes.
Don’t walk away from this; roux burns fast and you’ll have to start over if it does.
You’re looking for a color that’s darker than peanut butter but not quite black. Once you hit that deep brown color, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
If you’re making this ahead, store the roux in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Brown the Meat
Heat 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown the sausage pieces until they develop good color, ~5-6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same oil, brown the chicken pieces and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning while they cook. You want good color on multiple sides, ~6-8 minutes total.
Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside with the sausage.
Cook the Holy Trinity
In the same Dutch oven with the leftover oil, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery.
Sauté until the vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent, ~8-10 minutes.
The fond from the meat will start to come up and flavor the vegetables – that’s exactly what you want.
Build the Gumbo
Add the sausage and chicken back to the pot with the vegetables.
Add the cooled roux on top and stir everything together to coat. Let this warm up for ~2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Add the cayenne pepper and bay leaves.
Season with salt and pepper to taste – start with 1 tsp salt and adjust from there.
Long Simmer
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Let this cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The gumbo will thicken as it cooks and the flavors will deepen.
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, whisk in the file powder. This will thicken the gumbo further and add that distinctive earthy flavor.
Remove the bay leaves before serving over white rice.
The gumbo will keep getting better as it sits – it’s even better the next day.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ~2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 8 oz andouille sausage sliced into half moons
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 3/4 cup chopped celery ~3 stalks
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp file powder
Instructions
- Combine flour and oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir continuously for 45-60 minutes until deep chocolate brown, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Brown sausage 5-6 minutes, remove and set aside.
- Brown chicken with Cajun seasoning 6-8 minutes, remove and set aside.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to pot and sauté 8-10 minutes until soft.
- Return sausage and chicken to pot, add cooled roux, and stir 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly add chicken broth while stirring, then add cayenne and bay leaves.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to boil, reduce to gentle simmer, and cook 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk in file powder 30 minutes before serving.
- Remove bay leaves and serve over white rice.
