Since it's Fat Tuesday, I thought it'd be fitting to post a chicken and andouille sausage gumbo recipe with a slight variation to convert it to shrimp and crab gumbo if seafood is more your thing. It's fairly simple to make, but does require knowledge of making and incorporating roux - something that just won't turn out well if not done right. Let's get started!
Some of the ingredients listed below are measured by weight rather than volume. Weight is more accurate as depending on the size of your cut/dice and how loosely or tightly you place it in a measuring cup, you may end up with fairly significant differences.
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You'll need:
3 fl oz of olive oil 6 oz yellow onion (small dice) 4 oz celery (small dice) 4 oz green bell pepper (small dice) 1 oz garlic, chopped fine (or buy minced garlic in a jar) 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 2 bay leaves 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp black pepper 2 tsp paprika 1 gallon of chicken stock, hot 8 oz of blond roux (directions for this at the bottom) 10 oz canned diced tomatoes 1 lb okra, trimmed and cut into 3/4 slices (or frozen bagged okra) 1 lb raw chicken breasts (diced) 1 lb andouille sausage (sliced) 1 tbsp filé powder salt (to taste, if needed) Cooked rice (I use basmati) *For seafood gumbo, - replace chicken stock with seafood or fish stock - replace chicken with 1 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined - replace sausage with 1 lb of lump crab meat Skip the browning in #7 and just add the raw shrimp and the crab meat to the pot, simmering for 10 minutes. This will cook the shrimp. |
1. This recipe will yield about 5 quarts of finished gumbo, so ensure you have a pot large enough before you start. Cut the recipe in half if needed, for 2.5 quarts of finished gumbo.
2. Heat the oil in a stock pot over low heat. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, herbs, and spices. Cook over low heat until vegetables are soft. 3. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. 4. Add roux and stir vigorously with whip to thicken the gumbo. 5. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 min. 6. Add the okra and simmer until okra is tender (about 10-15 min more). 7. Brown chicken and sausage in some oil in a frying pan, then add to gumbo and simmer for another 10 minutes. 8. Sprinkle the filé powder over gumbo and stir it in, simmering for 2 more minutes. 9. Remove from heat and season with salt, if desired. 10. Ladle some gumbo into a bowl and place a small scoop of rice in the center. |
Making the roux:
Roux is generally a mixture of equal parts (by weight) fat and flour. Fats could be butter (or clarified butter), margarine, animal fats (chicken fat, beef drippings, bacon fat), or an oil. The thickening power of your roux will depend type of flour you use. I typically just use bread or all-purpose flour. Cake flour will have more thickening power and the ratio of roux to liquid (soup) must be adjusted if flour other than multi-purpose or bread flower is used.
Roux must be cooked in order to remove the raw, starchy taste of the flour from your finished sauce.
White roux is cooked for just a few minutes - just long enough to remove the raw taste of the flour.
Blonde roux is cooked a little longer - just long enough that the roux's color begins to change to a slightly darker color.
Brown roux is cooked until there is a light brown color and nutty aroma. Do this over low heat so as to not scorch the roux and so that it browns evenly.
Procedure:
1. Melt fat
2. Add correct amount of flour
3. Continuously stir until thoroughly mixed.
4. Medium heat for white/blonde roux and low heat for brown roux and keep stirring for even cooking.
Fat to flour proportions:
If you desire a thin sauce, you'll use 6 oz fat (butter usually) and 6 oz of flour (remember these are weight measurements, not volume measurements) and you'll add this to 1 gallon of liquid.
For a medium sauce, use 8 oz fat and 8 oz flour for 1 gallon of liquid. (this is what I used in the gumbo)
For a thick or heavy sauce, use 12 oz fat and 12 oz flour for 1 gallon of liquid.
Roux is generally a mixture of equal parts (by weight) fat and flour. Fats could be butter (or clarified butter), margarine, animal fats (chicken fat, beef drippings, bacon fat), or an oil. The thickening power of your roux will depend type of flour you use. I typically just use bread or all-purpose flour. Cake flour will have more thickening power and the ratio of roux to liquid (soup) must be adjusted if flour other than multi-purpose or bread flower is used.
Roux must be cooked in order to remove the raw, starchy taste of the flour from your finished sauce.
White roux is cooked for just a few minutes - just long enough to remove the raw taste of the flour.
Blonde roux is cooked a little longer - just long enough that the roux's color begins to change to a slightly darker color.
Brown roux is cooked until there is a light brown color and nutty aroma. Do this over low heat so as to not scorch the roux and so that it browns evenly.
Procedure:
1. Melt fat
2. Add correct amount of flour
3. Continuously stir until thoroughly mixed.
4. Medium heat for white/blonde roux and low heat for brown roux and keep stirring for even cooking.
Fat to flour proportions:
If you desire a thin sauce, you'll use 6 oz fat (butter usually) and 6 oz of flour (remember these are weight measurements, not volume measurements) and you'll add this to 1 gallon of liquid.
For a medium sauce, use 8 oz fat and 8 oz flour for 1 gallon of liquid. (this is what I used in the gumbo)
For a thick or heavy sauce, use 12 oz fat and 12 oz flour for 1 gallon of liquid.
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