Total comfort in a bowl. That is how I would describe this Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo. It’s perfect when you’re looking for something a little hearty and warm.
Last week, I made gumbo for a crowd which was a perfect opportunity to test new dishes and (hopefully) get immediate feedback. I was successful accomplishing both. The two different gumbos were a hit (phew!) with many people asking for the recipe. Here I am a week later sharing one of those recipes which were inspired by Emeril Lagasse and Isaac Toups.
Making gumbo for my first attempt was a tiny bit stressful but in the end, it came together quite nicely. I happily breathed a huge sigh of relief at the end of the day.
After making 3 back-to-back gumbos (2 successful and 1 unsuccessful) over 2 days, I learned a couple of things. I thought it would be helpful to share them for anyone making gumbo for the first time.
Lessons Learned
- Don’t multitask while making the roux
I repeat, don’t multitask while making the roux. That means, put the phone down and stay in front of the stove, constantly stirring so that the flour doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn. Making the dark roux was the unexpected tricky part of cooking gumbo. - Use a heavy-bottomed pan
Preferably cast-iron. This will help prevent burning your roux. - Patience – don’t try to rush or raise the heat
You’ll only burn the roux and have to start from scratch. Once it’s burnt, there’s no saving the roux, unfortunately. Trust me, I know. (Sigh). In my failed attempt at making a gluten-free roux using rice flour, I rushed and paid the price. I thought I could save the gumbo but no amount of hot sauce or spices could mask that scorched flavor of burnt roux, it’s disgusting. - Mise en place
A French culinary phrase for “everything in its place” or another way of saying “prepare your ingredients”. While it’s usually the first step in all my recipes, it is crucial when making gumbo. Why? Because of step 1. 🙂 Chop your “holy trinity” (green pepper, onion and celery) and set aside the other measured ingredients before you begin cooking the roux. - Give gumbo time to do its thing
If you can, make the gumbo the day before you want to serve it to give all the flavors an opportunity to intensify. Your gumbo will always, I repeat always, taste better the next day. If you don’t have that luxury, at the very least give yourself a minimum of 3 hours to simmer. It’s a difference between good and GOOD! - The kind of oil counts
Gumbo gets its dark brown color from cooking the roux a long time and you need an oil with a high smoking point like canola or vegetable oil to help you. For that reason, butter or olive oil is not recommended.
Stews and soups, to me, are like a warm hug on a cold day. And, I can’t get enough of it. That’s also how I feel about this Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo. Once you successfully make the roux it’s all smooth sailing from there and you will be rewarded with a flavorful and intense meal that will keep your bellies full. It’s a great inexpensive recipe to feed a crowd or your family. Plus, it freezes well so save any extra servings and enjoy gumbo on those cold nights.
Want a healthy simple side dish to go with it? Try our Herb Salad.
Chicken and smoked sausage gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs ($4.00)
- 1 lb andouille sausage sliced in 1/4" coins ($7.74)
- 1 green bell pepper finely chopped ($0.69)
- 1 large onion finely chopped ($0.49)
- 2-3 celery stalks finely chopped ($0.40)
- 2 tbsp garlic minced ($0.24)
- 1 bottle (12-ounces) amber beer ($1.17)
- 1 quart chicken stock ($2.29)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.15)
- 1 cup + 1 Tbsp canola oil, ($0.30)
- 4 bay leaves ($0.40)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme) ($0.00) (from our garden)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1 tsp black pepper ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne ($0.23)
- 1/2 cup scallions green parts, thinly sliced ($0.05)
- Louisiana hot sauce, otional
- file powder, optional
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients and have them close by.
- Season chicken with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Heat medium skillet, add 1 Tbsp canola oil and brown chicken on medium-high heat, about 5 minutes on each side. If there are brown bits on the bottom of the pan, take a little broth or beer to deglaze pan and set aside to use later.
- Make the roux. Heat a heavy-bottomed dutch oven, preferably cast iron, over medium heat and add 1 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smokey, slowly add the flour and stir together with whisk or wooden spoon making sure there are no lumps. Continuously stir to avoid flour from burning.
- The color of the roux will slowly change from blonde to caramel to milk chocolate which is the desired color. This will take about 30-40 minutes, or more. Be patient and if the color is not quite there, keep cooking and stirring the roux. (The best photo we had to use was when the roux was a "caramel" color.)
- Carefully add onions, celery, green bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables have softened.
- Add garlic and sausage. Stir to combine, 2-3 minutes.
- Add beer, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper and stock. Stir to combine making sure to catch all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add chicken along with deglazed liquid to pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 3 hours covered. Stir occasionally. (You can also make this the day before.) Salt and pepper to taste. Add cayenne if you need additional heat. Depending on the sausage you use, and your spiciness preference, you may or may not need cayenne so taste before you add cayenne.
- When ready to serve, top gumbo with cooked white long grain rice, sliced scallions and file powder (optional). Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
* Note regarding pricing: The thyme used in this recipe is from our garden which is why there is no price listed. The price for the pantry items such as oil, salt and pepper takes into account the cost of the amount used for the recipe and not the cost if you had to purchase the entire jar or bottle. ** All prices in US dollars.