Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 12-14 SERVINGS)
1 large sweet onion
2 green bell pepper
4 celery stalks
2 cups of vegetable or canola oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4-8 tablespoons of Cajun Poultry Seasoning Stir
2 Whole Chickens cut-up
2 pound Andouille Smoked Sausage, cut 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
16 cups of chicken stock
10 cups white rice

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the Roux:
Start by adding 2 cups of vegetable or canola oil to a large skillet (cast iron if possible)
Heat the skillet to a medium heat
Gradually whisk in 2 cups flour
Making the roux could take 20-30 minutes
Take your time.  You don’t want it to burn
If it does burn, just start all over
This is a key component of the gumbo so its important to get it dark without burning

You will see the roux start at a light brown keep whisking.
It will eventually start turning darker.

Cook, whisking constantly, until the roux is dark red-brown, about 20-30 minutes
Don’t let the roux burn.  Make sure its low and slow

Then add 4 tablespoons of Cajun Poultry Seasoning Stir until well mixed.
There are a lot of different choices for cajun seasoning at your market.

They all work well.  Here are a few:

Turn off the heat and add the trinity:
1 cup finely diced onions
1 cup finely diced green bell peppers
1 cup finely diced celery
The vegetables should be soft in a few minutes

Now put the roux aside

Prepare the Chicken:
We start by cutting up two whole chickens.
We have a video recipe on the duckinapot site to show you how.
You can always buy chicken already cut up
Remove the skin from each chicken piece
Sprinkle each chicken piece evenly with 4 tablespoons of the Cajun Poultry Seasoning and rub it in well

Combine 2 tablespoons Cajun Poultry Seasoning
with 1 ½ cups flour in a paper/plastic bag
Add the seasoned chicken pieces and shake
until the chicken is well coated or coat them complete in the dish

Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes so they don’t go into the fryer cold
Cold chicken will cool the temperature of your fryer and make your chicken greasy

Heat 1½ inches of oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat until very hot (375°F to 400°F)
Fry the chicken, until the crust is brown on both sides and the meat is cooked, about 5-8 minutes per side
Fry the large pieces first.
Frying too many at once will cool your fryer
You may have to fry the chicken in batches
Drain the fried chicken on paper towels to remove the excess grease

Prepare the Trinity for the Gumbo and set aside:
2 cups medium to large diced onions
2 cups medium to large diced peppers
2 cups medium to large diced celery

Prepare the Gumbo:
Bring 16 cups of chicken stock to a boil in a 16 quart stockpot or dutch oven
Add the roux by spoonful’s to the boiling stock, stirring between each addition until the roux is dissolved
Return to a boil, stirring and scraping the pan bottom often

Add:
2 pound Andouille Smoked Sausage, cut 1/4 inch thick
16 pieces of chicken
2 cups medium to large diced onions
2 cups medium to large diced peppers
2 cups medium to large diced celery
1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic

Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring often toward the end of the cooking time.

While the Gumbo is cooking, prepare your rice.
We are using 10 cups of basmati white rice.

While the gumbo is simmering,
constantly skim off any oil or froth floating on the top

Serve immediately.

The best way to serve the gumbo is to Mound ⅓ cup cooked rice in the center of a rimmed soup bowl,
and ladle about the gumbo around the rice and add a piece of chicken to the bowl

A good side for the gumbo is garlic bread or french baguette

For the gumbo we are going to use what is called the Holy Trinity or Trinity in short.
It is the base for much of the cooking in the regional cuisines of Louisiana.
It typically consists of onions, bell peppers and celery.

Just like in French cooking, the base vegetables is called a mirepoix
which is usually a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery.

Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo

See all of our video recipes on our YouTube channel