Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo

Name: Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 800 g chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on; 400 g andouille sausage (or any good smoked pork sausage), sliced into rounds; 4 stalks celery, finely diced; 1 large onion, finely diced; 1 green bell pepper, finely diced; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 90 g plain flour; 90 ml neutral oil (vegetable or canola); 1.5 litres chicken stock; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste); 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 1 tsp filé powder (ground sassafras leaves: optional, to finish); Cooked white rice, to serve; 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley or spring onion tops, chopped, to serve

Louisiana's great dark roux stew: built on the Holy Trinity of celery, onion, and green pepper

Origin: Louisiana, United States

From the journey of Celery.

Gumbo is the soul food of Louisiana (a thick, richly flavoured stew built on a dark roux and the Cajun and Creole 'Holy Trinity' of celery, onion, and green bell pepper. The Trinity is the culinary signature of Louisiana cooking: as fundamental to gumbo, jambalaya, and étouffée as mirepoix is to French cooking or soffritto to Italian. Celery's role in the Trinity is irreplaceable) it provides a bright, aromatic bitterness that cuts through the deep, dark richness of the roux and the smokiness of the andouille sausage. Gumbo's origins are a living record of Louisiana's complex cultural history: its name comes from the West African word for okra (ki ngombo), its thickening technique from French roux, its filé powder from the Choctaw people, and its sausage from German and Cajun immigrant meat-curing traditions. The dish is the most syncretic in American cooking (a food made possible by the collision of cultures that defines Louisiana. The dark roux) cooked for 30–45 minutes until it reaches the colour of dark chocolate: is the technical heart of gumbo: no shortcut exists, and no approximation is acceptable.

Ingredients

Protein

800 g chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
400 g andouille sausage (or any good smoked pork sausage), sliced into rounds

Holy Trinity

4 stalks celery, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced

Aromatics

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves

Roux

90 g plain flour
90 ml neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

Liquid

1.5 litres chicken stock

Spice

1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Seasoning

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Finish

1 tsp filé powder (ground sassafras leaves: optional, to finish)

To serve

Cooked white rice, to serve

Garnish

3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley or spring onion tops, chopped, to serve

Method

Make the dark roux: in a heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron is ideal) over medium heat, whisk together the flour and oil until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30–40 minutes until the roux reaches the colour of dark chocolate or bittersweet cocoa. Do not stop stirring. Do not increase the heat.
Immediately add the celery, onion, and green pepper to the hot roux. Stir vigorously: the vegetables will sizzle aggressively and the roux will seize. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the roux has loosened.
Add the garlic, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
Gradually add the chicken stock, whisking to incorporate the roux smoothly and prevent lumps. Add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
Season the chicken thighs with salt. In a separate pan, brown the chicken in a little oil over high heat. Add the browned chicken and sliced andouille to the gumbo. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken, shred the meat off the bones, and return the meat to the pot. Discard the bones and skin. Taste and adjust seasoning: gumbo should be robustly seasoned.
Serve in deep bowls over a mound of steamed white rice. Sprinkle with parsley or spring onion tops. Pass filé powder at the table for guests to stir in themselves if desired.

Notes

Gumbo improves enormously overnight and is one of the great dishes for advance preparation. Make it a day ahead, refrigerate, skim the fat from the surface, and reheat gently. Leftovers are famously better than the day-of version. Shrimp gumbo (add large prawns in the last 5 minutes of cooking) and seafood gumbo (crab, oysters, and shrimp) are equally traditional. The gumbo z'herbes (green gumbo) made with leafy greens during Holy Week is a distinct tradition of its own.

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control