I recently learned to make gumbo, and I've made enough adjustments to the original recipe that it's time to document them. My standard gumbo is served over rice, but of course I prefer it over mac and cheese.
Ingredients:
- Two cups pre-cooked, diced chicken (or one pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
- 1 pound andouille sausage, diced
- One medium-to-large onion, diced
- Two red bell peppers, diced
- Three stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 lb mushrooms (Cremini/Baby Bella), dice
- Two jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- Three garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- One quart chicken stock
- Three tablespoons Cajun seasoning (see below)
- Two tablespoons gumbo file
If you don't have Cajun seasoning on hand, here are the components (About 1/4 of this recipe):
- 3/4 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp pepper
- 1/4 tbsp onion powder
- 1/4 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp thyme
If you're working with raw chicken, chop and brown it in a large stock pot, then set the browned chicken aside in a large bowl. Next, brown the andouille sausage and add it to the bowl with the chicken.
Add some oil to the now-empty pot, then add the onion, bell peppers, celery, mushrooms and jalapenos and some salt and saute, adding the garlic once they're mostly softened. Cook another minute or two, then remove all the vegetables to the bowl with the chicken and andouille.
Add the butter to the once again empty pot, and stir until it melts. Add the flour to make a roux and let it brown for 30 seconds to a minute. Whisk in the stock, and once no lumps remain from the roux, add the vegetables, sausage and chicken back in. Stir, add the Cajun seasoning, and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Prepare rice, mac and cheese or whatever you'll serve your gumbo over while you're waiting for the gumbo to simmer.
When the gumbo is just about ready to serve, add the gumbo file and stir it in (you'll notice it start to thicken almost immediately). To serve, put your rice/mac and cheese in the bottom of individual bowls and ladle gumbo over the top.
