Chicken And Andouille Gumbo Recipe

Prep vegetables and meats

Dice the onion, bell pepper and celery (the 'holy trinity') into medium-small pieces. Mince the garlic. Slice the andouille into 1/3-inch rounds. Pat chicken dry and season lightly with 1/2 tsp Creole seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Make the roux

In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or large saucepan set over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and butter. When butter has melted and oil shimmers, whisk in the flour. Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula or whisk; the roux will bubble and darken. Continue stirring for 18–25 minutes until it reaches the color of milk chocolate to dark peanut butter (deep brown) — lower the heat if it starts to burn. This dark roux gives the gumbo its characteristic flavor. Remove from direct heat briefly if it is cooking too quickly.

Cook the vegetables

Once the roux is the desired color, carefully add the diced onion, bell pepper and celery to the pot (stand back slightly — it may sputter). Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes more to remove raw tomato flavor.

Brown sausage and add chicken

Push the vegetables to one side of the pot. Add the sliced andouille and sear for 3–4 minutes until it releases some fat and color. Remove a few slices for garnish if desired and set aside. Add the chicken thighs to the pot and brown lightly on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (they do not need to be fully cooked through).

Add stock and simmer

Pour in the chicken stock while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in bay leaves, dried thyme, remaining Creole seasoning (about 1.5 tsp), tomato paste already in the pot, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 35–40 minutes until chicken is tender and flavors meld. Skim any excess fat from the surface as needed. If using, sprinkle file powder in the last 5 minutes of cooking and stir.

Shred chicken

Remove the chicken thighs to a cutting board, discard bones if present, and shred meat with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Return shredded chicken and reserved andouille slices to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or hot sauce as desired. Keep gumbo warm over very low heat while rice finishes.

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed rice, 3.5 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer 15–18 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Stir chopped parsley and sliced green onions into the gumbo right before serving (reserve a little for garnish). Adjust final seasoning with salt, pepper, Worcestershire or hot sauce to taste. If the gumbo seems too thin, simmer uncovered a few minutes; if too thick, add a splash of stock or water.

Serve: Spoon a generous scoop of hot rice into bowls and ladle gumbo over the rice. Garnish with reserved andouille slices, extra green onion and parsley. Offer additional hot sauce at the table.