- Dec 6, 2007
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- 552
Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
1 Frying Chicken
1 lb. good andouille sausage (smoked), sliced into 1/2 inch thick half moons
you can use other smoked sausage
2 cups chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped bell (or hot) pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 medium size bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped garlic ( I usually use about 1/2 a cup, but that's just me)
Salt, cayene and black pepper to taste
File powder
First you will need to cook your chicken. There are different ways to approach this. I usually boil the chcken until it's just done, with some carrot, celery, onion, and cracked black pepper. Today Bob will make beer butt chicken and I'll use the carcass to make a little stock. You can also use packaged chicken stock, but fresh gives the gumbo more depth of flavor.
Once the chicken is cooked, chop into not too small piece (remember you'll be eating this with a spoon, thought). Drain your stock and set both chicken and stock aside in the fridge.
Next, you will make the roux. You really can't do anything else while you do this because although it's not difficult, you need to watch carefully not to burn the roux. Combine the 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour in a miccrowave safe bowl. If you have a little bacon drippings you might want to add a couple of tablespoons to the oil. Use a whisk to combine the flour and oil. You will need 2 potholders (or one potholder and a trivet) for this part. I also use a little saucer to put my whisk on. Start off with microwaving the mixture for about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave using one potholder and setting it on the other. Whisk well. Return to microwave and nuke for 1 minute. Remove and repeat whisking procedure. Continue this process with 1 minute intervals until the roux develops some color. You want it to be a little darker than peanut butter. As you get closer to the color you want, you will cut back to 30 seconds in the microwave. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GET THIS ON YOUR SKIN OR ANYTHING ELSE. It sticks and burns unmercifully. This process takes about 10 minutes to complete the roux for your gumbo. It may take a little longer depending on humidity, moisture content in your flour, etc. It is a huge improvement on making the roux on the stove, which can take 45 mins. I promise you the flavor is exactly the same. The consistency of the roux should be about the same as melted peanut butter, too.
Once your roux is complete, transfer it VERY CAREFULLY to a large heavy bottomed soup pot. A cast iron dutch oven is great for this use. Add your chopped vegetables, bay leaves and andouille. You will continue to cook this mixture medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Cover the pot during this part, but check and stir quite frequently. Don't walk away. Once your roux is burned, it must be discarded. Burned roux will ruin a gumbo. The flavors of the sausage and the vegetables will flavor the roux during this proces and in turn flavor the gumbo.
You are ready to add the stock now. I can't really tell you how much stock to add by measurement because it depends on several factors. My best advice is to add stock a little at a time, bring it to a boil and add more stock if it's too thick. You want the consistency of a medium thick soup, not too thick, no too thin. This is the hardest part to describe. Each time you add a litle stock make sure you bring it up to a boil, because it won't thicken until then. Try not to add too much, because you may still add more when the gumbo is finished if it's too thick, but you'll need to make more roux if you make it too thin.
Add garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. I like to simmer the gumbo at this point for at least an hour. The anddouille holds up well and you want the flavors to deveop and mature. While the gumbo is simmering, make a pot of white rice.
Remember to taste the gumbo once it has finished simmering and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Next add the chopped chicken and continue simmering about 10-15 minutes more.
To serve gumbo, first add a small amount of rice to your bowl, then add gumbo. I like it soupy but some people like it with a lot of rice. Only at this point do you add about 1/2 teaspoon of file to the bowl. File cannot be reheated as it becomes very bitter so do not add it to the pot. It is not absolutely necessary to have file to enjoy gumbo, but it does enhance it.
In New Orleans, where the cooking is considered Creole, they serve gumbo with potato salad. In the country side in Louisiana, which the cooking is considered Cajun, they serve this gumbo with baked sweet potatoes with a little butter and salt. As you can see it's a very hearty combinaton either way. A nice green salad and some hot french bread is also very good with this kind of gumbo.
There are many different kinds of gumbo. There's seafood gumbo, with and without okra, duck gumbo, gumbo z'herbs, which is made during lent with no meat, etc. I hope you make and enjoy this truly Cajun version of Chicken and Andouille gumbo.
1 Frying Chicken
1 lb. good andouille sausage (smoked), sliced into 1/2 inch thick half moons
you can use other smoked sausage
2 cups chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped bell (or hot) pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 medium size bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped garlic ( I usually use about 1/2 a cup, but that's just me)
Salt, cayene and black pepper to taste
File powder
First you will need to cook your chicken. There are different ways to approach this. I usually boil the chcken until it's just done, with some carrot, celery, onion, and cracked black pepper. Today Bob will make beer butt chicken and I'll use the carcass to make a little stock. You can also use packaged chicken stock, but fresh gives the gumbo more depth of flavor.
Once the chicken is cooked, chop into not too small piece (remember you'll be eating this with a spoon, thought). Drain your stock and set both chicken and stock aside in the fridge.
Next, you will make the roux. You really can't do anything else while you do this because although it's not difficult, you need to watch carefully not to burn the roux. Combine the 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour in a miccrowave safe bowl. If you have a little bacon drippings you might want to add a couple of tablespoons to the oil. Use a whisk to combine the flour and oil. You will need 2 potholders (or one potholder and a trivet) for this part. I also use a little saucer to put my whisk on. Start off with microwaving the mixture for about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave using one potholder and setting it on the other. Whisk well. Return to microwave and nuke for 1 minute. Remove and repeat whisking procedure. Continue this process with 1 minute intervals until the roux develops some color. You want it to be a little darker than peanut butter. As you get closer to the color you want, you will cut back to 30 seconds in the microwave. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GET THIS ON YOUR SKIN OR ANYTHING ELSE. It sticks and burns unmercifully. This process takes about 10 minutes to complete the roux for your gumbo. It may take a little longer depending on humidity, moisture content in your flour, etc. It is a huge improvement on making the roux on the stove, which can take 45 mins. I promise you the flavor is exactly the same. The consistency of the roux should be about the same as melted peanut butter, too.
Once your roux is complete, transfer it VERY CAREFULLY to a large heavy bottomed soup pot. A cast iron dutch oven is great for this use. Add your chopped vegetables, bay leaves and andouille. You will continue to cook this mixture medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Cover the pot during this part, but check and stir quite frequently. Don't walk away. Once your roux is burned, it must be discarded. Burned roux will ruin a gumbo. The flavors of the sausage and the vegetables will flavor the roux during this proces and in turn flavor the gumbo.
You are ready to add the stock now. I can't really tell you how much stock to add by measurement because it depends on several factors. My best advice is to add stock a little at a time, bring it to a boil and add more stock if it's too thick. You want the consistency of a medium thick soup, not too thick, no too thin. This is the hardest part to describe. Each time you add a litle stock make sure you bring it up to a boil, because it won't thicken until then. Try not to add too much, because you may still add more when the gumbo is finished if it's too thick, but you'll need to make more roux if you make it too thin.
Add garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. I like to simmer the gumbo at this point for at least an hour. The anddouille holds up well and you want the flavors to deveop and mature. While the gumbo is simmering, make a pot of white rice.
Remember to taste the gumbo once it has finished simmering and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Next add the chopped chicken and continue simmering about 10-15 minutes more.
To serve gumbo, first add a small amount of rice to your bowl, then add gumbo. I like it soupy but some people like it with a lot of rice. Only at this point do you add about 1/2 teaspoon of file to the bowl. File cannot be reheated as it becomes very bitter so do not add it to the pot. It is not absolutely necessary to have file to enjoy gumbo, but it does enhance it.
In New Orleans, where the cooking is considered Creole, they serve gumbo with potato salad. In the country side in Louisiana, which the cooking is considered Cajun, they serve this gumbo with baked sweet potatoes with a little butter and salt. As you can see it's a very hearty combinaton either way. A nice green salad and some hot french bread is also very good with this kind of gumbo.
There are many different kinds of gumbo. There's seafood gumbo, with and without okra, duck gumbo, gumbo z'herbs, which is made during lent with no meat, etc. I hope you make and enjoy this truly Cajun version of Chicken and Andouille gumbo.
