- 30 mins
- 210 mins
Ingredients
- Recipe:
- ©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
- Prep time: 30 min |Cook time: 2 hour 30 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
- Ingredients
- 1 (3 to 4 pound) whole hen or fryer, cut into serving pieces
- Salt, black pepper and Creole or Cajun seasoning, to taste
- 3/4 cup plus 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil, more or less, divided
- 1 pound Andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced in 1/4" rounds
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2-1/2 quarts room temperature chicken broth/stock, water, or a combination
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, optional
- Couple dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup green onion, chopped, optional
- Hot, steamed rice
Preparation
Step 1
Instructions
Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil in a large gumbo pot or Dutch oven, over medium high heat and brown the chicken in batches on both sides, adding additional oil as needed. Remove and set aside. Add the sausage to the drippings and cook until lightly browned; remove and drain over paper towels. To avoid excess grease from the meats, pour out and discard drippings, wipe out skillet and add 3/4 cup fresh oil to the pot for the roux.
Blend in the flour a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture at minimum resembles the color of peanut butter, about 30 to 45 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery to the roux and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Stir in 2 cups of the broth and/or water, a little at a time, until mixture is well blended and forms a gravy, gradually bringing to a boil. Continue adding the remaining broth or water to the pot until fully incorporated. Add the chicken, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, uncovered, using a spoon to periodically skim off any fat and/or foam that accumulates on top.
Remove chicken, skin and bones and set aside to cool. Add the sausage to the pot and simmer another 30 minutes. Add the green onion and cook another 10 minutes. Shred or chop the chicken and return to the pot, discarding the skin and bones and let simmer until chicken is warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Let gumbo rest off the heat for 10 minutes, skimming off any excess oil from the top. Stir, remove and discard bay leaves, and serve gumbo over hot steamed rice with hot, buttered French bread on the side and a Barq's root beer. Very good with potato salad on the side, or in the bowl. Offer hot sauce and gumbo filé at the table.
Cook's Notes: Gumbo is a dish that only improves with advance preparation, so make it ahead of time if possible. The flavors really need time to settle and mellow and it's always better the next day. Prepare, let cool and skim any accumulated fat off the top before storing and again before reheating. For less fat, skin chicken pieces before browning. May also use other chicken pieces such as thighs or about 4 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or substitute turkey. To save time, you may substitute a frozen gumbo seasoning blend (onion, bell pepper and celery), a commercial jarred roux product and/or a deli rotisserie chicken.
Perfect Boiled Rice: Add 1 teaspoon of salt to 4 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in 2 cups long grain rice, reduce to a low boil, cover and cook for 20 minutes, without removing lid. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve. Fluff with a fork.