Chicken-Andouille Gumbo

By GadgetGirl

Homemade stock made from a whole bird has two upsides: You get a rich, balanced liquid for the gumbo, and plenty of tender poached chicken meat.

Ingredients

• Stock
• 1 3 1/2–4-lb. chicken
• 1 large onion, peeled, quartered
• 2 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Gumbo
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 1/4” thick
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
• Cooked white rice and sliced scallions (for serving)

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from bon appetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Stock
Bring chicken, onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns, basil, oregano, and 12 cups water to a boil in a large stockpot. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer, skimming surface as needed, until meat is falling off the bone, about 1 hour.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, then remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot (or airtight container if not using right away); discard solids. You should have about 12 cups.
Do Ahead: Stock can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill, or freeze up to 3 months. Let meat cool; tightly wrap and chill.
Gumbo
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate.
Whisk flour into oil in pot and cook, whisking constantly, until roux is the color of a brown paper bag and smells nutty, about 4 minutes.
Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to roux; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add stock, chicken, sausage, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is slightly thickened and vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.
Add hot sauce to gumbo, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 30 minutes to let flavors meld; discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Serve gumbo over rice topped with scallions.
Do Ahead: Gumbo can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.