How to Make Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Rotisserie chicken is a key ingredient in chicken and andouille gumbo.

"The traditional stew of New Orleans, gumbo essentially consists of a soup served over rice," according to PBS.org. "Gumbo recipes call for seafood or chicken, vegetables from all over the world and various herbs and seasonings." Andouille, which is sausage made from spices and coarsely ground pork, was brought to Louisiana by Acadians, or Cajuns. Chicken and andouille gumbo is an economical and tasty alternative to seafood gumbo.

Things You'll Need

• Large skillet
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Large soup pot
• 1 stick butter
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 1 bell pepper (chopped)
• 3 sticks celery (chopped)
• 4 pods of garlic chopped
• 1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken (peeled from the bone)
• 1 pound andouille sausage
• 6 cups water
• 1 tbsp. thyme
• 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp. sage
• 3 tbsp. filé powder, or gumbo filé
• 2 cups steamed rice

Instructions

1. Pour the oil into the skillet. Heat the oil on high heat. Gently begin to sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly. Stir until the mixture becomes chocolate brown in color. Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring constantly. The end result should be a brown gravy-like substance, or roux. Remove the skillet from the burner.

2. Place the butter in the large soup pot. Use medium-high heat to melt the butter. Add the vegetables. Stir them as they sautée. Once the vegetables are tender, add the roux from the skillet. Mix the roux thoroughly into the vegetables.

3. Add the chicken and andouille sausage. Stir the mixture until the sausage cooks and begins to lightly brown.

4. Add the water, thyme, filé powder, sage and cayenne pepper. Turn the heat on high. Let the mixture come to a rolling boil. Let boil about 30 minutes.

5. Reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to cook for an hour. Serve the gumbo over steamed rice.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the skin when you remove the chicken from the bone. The juices in the chicken skin will add depth of flavor to your gumbo. Add more filé powder--a natural thickening agent made from the leaves of the sassafras tree--if your gumbo is too watery.

References

• Food Network: Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
• Emerils.com: Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo
• PBS.org: Gumbo as History
• Origins of Southern Food

Resources

• The Southern Gumbo Trail: A Short History of Gumbo
• WhatsCookingAmerica.net: History of Gumbo; Mark W. Huntsman