Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

The most requested meal by my parents to me is hands down always my Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. I think it’s because my parents cook primarily Korean food that things like gumbo intimidate them a little. Flavor-wise this is right up their alley, especially for my dad. He LOVES stewy dishes with a lot of flavor (and some spicy heat) – which is exactly what we have with our gumbo!

I learned to cook gumbo in culinary school from a chef who had spend most his career in Louisiana. Our recipe today takes inspiration from that chef instructor who also taught me a great dark roux shortcut! We get into that below! Our recipe isn’t completely traditional as we include things like corn and omit the file powder, but my goodness is it DELICIOUS!

What is Gumbo?

Gumbo is a stew is popular in Louisiana (and is the state’s official cuisine). It’s made with a dark, flour-based roux, the “holy trinity”(onion, celery, and green bell pepper), often times shellfish, and meat (chicken, sausage, etc).

Although it is a well known U.S. southern dish, it was originally created with heavy influences from African, French, Spanish, and Native American cultures and cuisines.

How to Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo?

Ingredients

Process

1. Place all spice-blend ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside. Pour flour into a skillet and toast over medium heat until well browned with a nutty flavor, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Place butter into a large pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add Andouille and brown for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pot.

3. Add onion, celery and bell peppers and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to sausage.
4. Stir in toasted flour and continue to stir until no lumps remain. Cook flour mixture for 4 to 5 minutes or until roux has darkened even more. (should be a deep reddish-brown color with a nutty smell).

5. Add sausage, vegetable mixture, garlic oregano, thyme, and spice-blend to roux.
6. Stir together until everything is well and evenly coated.

7. Add stock, while stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Add bay leaves.
8. Bring mixture to a boil and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered for 25 to 30 minute or until gumbo has thickened.

9. Remove cover and add corn, shrimp, chicken, and okra. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
10. Raise heat up to medium, stir together and cook for about 5 minutes or until shrimp have just cooked through. Adjust seasonings as needed. Serve gumbo over rice, topped with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of gumbo file, if using.

Why Toast the Flour Ahead of Time?

Toasting the flour ahead of time is a trick I learned decades ago and it’s one of my favorite cooking hacks to date! By toasting the flour ahead of time you will save yourself loads of time on making a deep-dark roux without compromising any flavor!

I know some purists may be against this method, but I urge you to give it a try, especially if you’re tight on time! I promise you will still end up with deeply flavored, delicious gumbo!

Tips and Tricks for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Success

• We’ve already gone over the toasted flour trick above and I cannot stress how helpful and time saving this hack is!
• Another time saving trick is to buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up. I like to do this instead of poaching my own chicken breasts.

Variations

• You can change the shellfish used and add bay scallops, crab legs, or even crawfish.
• You can omit the corn for a more traditional taste.
• We like to serve gumbo over steamed rice (which is more common), but you can also serve it on its own or with a crusty baguette for dipping.
• You can sub the okra out for nopales or for chopped zucchini (although the zucchini wont have the same thickening effect).

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Storing and Reheating

Gumbo can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 2 days. Cool gumbo completely before storing and refrigerating.

To reheat, pour gumbo into a pot and simmer over medium heat until just heated through.

Freezing and Reheating

Gumbo can be stored in an airtight, freezer-proof container, in the freezer, for up to 2 months. Cool gumbo completely before storing and freezing.

To thaw and reheat, pour frozen block of gumbo into a pot and simmer over medium heat until melted and just heated through. If frozen gumbo is stuck to container, refrigerate overnight to thaw, then pour into a pot and simmer over medium heat until heated through.

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