This chicken and andouille gumbo recipe is the real deal

About the recipe

Making a roux requires both time and patience. As the roux cooks, the flour will darken and thin out slightly. Stir constantly until it turns the color of chocolate, but does not burn.

In lieu of roasting a chicken, you could make a rich chicken stock out of a 3 1/2-pound whole chicken, then pull the meat from the bones and use the stock in the gumbo. However, pulling a store-bought rotisserie chicken and using commercial chicken broth is a good way to save time.

Traditional gumbo recipes call for green bell peppers, but we prefer to use flavorful poblanos instead. Feel free to substitute one diced green bell pepper for the poblano if you prefer.

We like to use Texas Pete hot sauce in this recipe.

Serves: 8

Hands On Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 yellow onion, finely diced

3 ribs celery, finely diced

1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

3 bay leaves and 3 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine

1 pound okra, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

8 cups chicken broth
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 1/4-inch-thick

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hot sauce

1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat pulled from the bone

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cooked white rice, for serving

Sliced scallions, for serving

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until very dark, but not burnt, 20 to 30 minutes. 

Add the onions, celery and peppers, and cook until the vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cayenne, bay leaves and thyme, and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Add the okra and tomatoes and cook until the okra begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and sausage, bring to a simmer, and cook, skimming off any oil that comes to the surface, until the flavors have melded and the sauce has darkened and slightly thickened, about 45 minutes.

Add the chicken and Worcestershire sauce, return to a simmer, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Serve in bowls over white rice, garnished with scallions.