Andouille Sausage Gumbo

About This Recipe

Andouille sausage gumbo is Louisiana's signature pot: a dark, chocolate-colored roux built slowly from flour and oil, the Cajun trinity, smoky andouille, and chicken, all simmered into a deeply savory stew served over rice. The roux is the soul of the dish — taken to the edge of burnt, it trades thickening power for a toasted, almost coffee-like depth nothing else provides. Finished with filé powder or okra and a scatter of scallions, gumbo is less a recipe than a ritual, the centerpiece of Cajun family gatherings and cold-weather Sundays. Patience at the roux pot is repaid in every spoonful.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 0.75 cupvegetable oil
• 0.75 cupall-purpose flour
• 14 ozandouille sausage(sliced into half-inch rounds and browned)
• 1.5 lbsboneless, skinless chicken thighs(cut into chunks)
• 1 largeyellow onion(diced)
• 3 stalkscelery(diced)
• 1 largegreen bell pepper(diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 6 cupschicken stock(warm)
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 2bay leaves
• 0.5 tspcayenne pepper
• 2 tspCajun seasoning
• 1 tspfilé powder(served at the table, not added to the pot)
• 4scallions(sliced, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare

   Slice the andouille into coins, cut chicken thighs into chunks, and dice the trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper. Brown the sausage and chicken in a heavy Dutch oven, then set aside, leaving the drippings.

2. 2

   Cook

   Add oil and flour to the pot and stir constantly over medium-low heat for 25 to 40 minutes until the roux is the color of dark chocolate. Never walk away; a burnt roux smells acrid and must be discarded.

   If black specks appear in the roux, it has burned; start over rather than ruin the whole pot.

3. 3

   Combine

   Stir the trinity into the hot roux to stop its cooking, then slowly whisk in warm stock. Return the meats, add bay leaves, thyme, and cayenne, and simmer uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, skimming fat.

   Adding the vegetables directly to the finished roux halts the browning at exactly the right shade.

4. 4

   Serve

   Season with salt and hot sauce, stir in sliced scallions, and rest 10 minutes. Ladle over mounds of white rice and pass filé powder at the table for thickening and earthiness.

Variations

• •

  Chicken and sausage only is classic Cajun; add shrimp and crab in the last 10 minutes for a Creole seafood gumbo.

• •

  Okra gumbo: simmer a pound of sliced okra in place of filé for body and a summery flavor.

• •

  Gumbo z'herbes: the Lenten greens version, with mustard greens, collards, and spinach.

• •

  Duck and andouille: swap in browned duck legs for a hunter's-style pot.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days, storing rice separately; the flavor peaks on day two. Gumbo freezes superbly for 3 months — leave out the filé and add it fresh when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions