Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Happy (almost) Fat Tuesday! I always miss Louisiana around this time of year. I wasn’t born and raised there, but I did live there for four years, so it is (and always will be!) a place that is near and dear to my heart. 

Gumbo is one of my favorite comfort foods. It's warm, filling, has tons of flavor, and every time I make it, I feel like I'm back in the south with a glass of sweet tea. I have my own recipe I follow, but thought I'd try a different way this time.

The first gumbo recipe I found on Google was of course Emeril Lagasse's, who else? His recipe is pretty close to how I've made mine in the past, except in mine I use butter for the roux instead of oil, I add okra, and I also use chicken that is already cooked to save time. Today I gave oil a try, though I think I prefer butter, as I believe it's easier to make the roux and adds more flavor to the dish. I of course still love my way, but this gumbo was pretty darn good. It was rich, hearty, full of flavor...everything a gumbo should be. 

Unlike Emeril, I didn't have four whole hours to make a gumbo. Instead, I made mine in a way that reduced the cooking time significantly, and I don't think it sacrificed flavor in any way. The only real tip I have is be sure you have EVERYTHING prepped before you start. You're life will be a whole lot easier...I promise. I hope if you make this gumbo, you enjoy it as much as we did today, and I hope ya'll (yes..I just did that) have a happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup vegetable oil

½ pound andouille sausage, cut crosswise in ½ inch thick pieces

½ cup flour

1 cup diced onion, about 1 medium

½ cup celery, chopped

½ cup green bell peppers, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups cooked chicken (I shredded the chicken meat I used to make stock. A rotisserie chicken would also work well).

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon parsley

Cooked white rice

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.

To make the roux, combine the remaining ¼ cup oil and ½ cup flour in the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes or until dark brown.

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers, and cook about 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, spices, and bay leaves, and cook for another minute or two. Slowly add the chicken stock, and stir until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat; remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in the green onions, and garnish with parsley. Serve over rice.

Recipe Source: inspired by Emeril Lagasse