Our Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
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This is the latest adaptation on our version of this gumbo. It stated with a recipe that I created a number of years ago, after studying several other chicken and sausage gumbo recipes. It was a hit with the first try. This one is probably the best of all our attempts, and is better than most restaurant version that we have tried (outside of southern Louisiana). This version came about after several samplings at "Cajun" restaurants in Texas. You can also find our original version here.
1 1/2 lb bone-in chicken
2 tbls bacon grease, or olive oil
1/2 lb andouille or smoked sausage, sliced
2 cups onion, chopped
3/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 quarts chicken stock
1 - 2 quarts water
 4 tbls dark roux , pre-made or from a jar
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp creole seasoning
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 bunch green onions, tops only, sliced
Start by adding some 3 - 4 quarts of water, chicken bullion or base, an onion, carrots, a celery stalk, a large garlic clove, black peppercorns, and a little salt to a stock pot. Cook at a low boil until the vegetable soften and the flavors come together. Add the chicken. When the water returns to a boil reduce the heat, and simmer until the chicken is just barely cooked through (about 20 - 30 minutes). Remove the chicken. Strain the stock, throwing away the cooked veggies. Remove the chicken from the bone, and roughly shred into bite sized pieces.

Heat the bacon grease or oil in a large stock pot. Add the sliced sausage and cook until lightly browned. Remove the sausage from the heat, and drain any excess grease. When the sausage has cooled slightly, cut into serving sized pieces. In the same pot saute the onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic over medium heat until tender, but not browned. Remove the vegetable from the pot.

Heat the water and chicken stock (use the stock made from cooking the chicken) to a low boil in the stock pot. Add the roux and stir vigorously with a whisk until the roux is completely dissolved. Add the shredded chicken, browned sausage, sauteed vegetables, and all spices to the pot.

Cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, for at least 1 hour. Like most stews it will be better is made the day before you want to serve it, and then reheated.

Five minutes before serving add the green onions. Serve in a bowl, over cooked rice.

 

Cliff Note 1: We prefer to use a combination of chicken breast and thighs, half and half. But feel free to use either one by themselves.

Cliff Note 2: Not living in southern Louisiana any longer, it can be hard to find a true andouille sausage. Most marketed as such in the big grocery stores is nothing like the real stuff. One of the items that is most often missing is the nice smokiness that andouille has. If you can not find a good smoked sausage, then look for a good naturally smoked or double-smoked bacon. Render this bacon down for browning the sausage, and then finely chopped the cooked bacon and add it to the gumbo with the other meats. I have had very good results using bacon from Benton's.