Like most folks, I’ve been itching to travel but staying put due to ongoing shelter-in-place orders. So I’m satisfying my wanderlust with food – and the first stop on my virtual tour is, you guessed it, New Orleans!
With Mardi Gras around the corner, I decided to get a jump on the celebration by preparing a big pot of chicken gumbo with andouille sausage. It’s a labor of love, but I guarantee you’ll savor every spoonful. And the stew tastes better with time, which means leftovers are delicious.
If you’re craving a taste of the South, carve out a few hours to tackle this chicken gumbo with andouille sausage recipe. Then dish up a bowl and let the good times roll! Or as they say in Louisiana, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”
Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes.
- 5 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons
- 2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- sea salt, to taste
- 12 ounces cooked andouille
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound frozen cut okra, thawed
- 2 teaspoons gumbo filé
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup sliced green onions, divided
- cooked long-grain rice, for serving
- In a large pot, cook bacon on medium heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pot and set aside on paper towels to drain.
- Season chicken with salt and place skin side down in the pot. Cook until golden brown without turning, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large bowl.
- Add andouille to pot and cook, flipping once, until lightly browned. Transfer to bowl with chicken.
- Add canola oil and flour to pot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is milk chocolate colored, 20-30 minutes.
- Add onion, celery and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to darken, about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in another large pot, combine the chicken broth and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium.
- Add hot broth mixture to pot with vegetables and bring to a boil. Add seasonings (sweet paprika through cayenne pepper) and reduce heat to medium-low. Nestle the seared chicken in the pot and simmer for 1½ hours.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool slightly. Discard the skin and bones and shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cut the andouille crosswise into ½"-thick pieces.
- Add shredded chicken, andouille and okra to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
- Add gumbo filé, parsley and ¼ cup green onions and season with salt to taste. Serve with long grain rice and top with cooked bacon and remaining green onions.
