How to Cook Gumbo: Chicken & Andouille Sausage

You’ll need the following items:

• Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
• Garlic powder (1/2 tea
• Minced Garlic (1 teaspoon)
• Ground Red Pepper (preferably Cayenne red pepper)
• All Purpose Flour (1 & 1/4 cup)
• Vegetable Oil
• Basic Chicken Stock (7 cups)
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (2 to 3 lbs, cut up)

Plus the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun Cuisine

• Celery (3/4 cup finely chopped)
• Green Bell Peppers (1 cup finely chopped)
• Onion (1 cup finely chopped)
• 
  

Remove excess fat from the chicken pieces. Rub a generous amount of salt, garlic powder and red pepper on both sides of each piece, making sure each is evenly covered.
Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the onions, bell peppers and celery.

Set this aside for now.

Mince Garlic and set aside.

Cut the Andouille Sausage into bitesize pieces and set aside.

Below is the uncut sausage 

Combine the following in a plastic or paper bag:

• Flour
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Red Pepper

Add the chicken pieces and shake until the chicken is well coated

In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil until very hot (375° to 400°).

• Fry the chicken until crust is brown on both sides and the meat is cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. 
• Check temperature. When chicken is 160 degrees it’s ready.
• Drain the chicken on paper towels.

• Place the stock in a 5 1/2 quart sauce pan, or large Dutch oven. 
• Bring to a boil.

• Use a 1/2 cup of flour from Step #7 above
• 1/2 cup of oil that's left over from the frying of the chicken in Step #7 above

In a clean dutch oven heat the oil over high heat.  Using a metal whisk gradually add the flour to the hot oil.

Continue to whisk moving the pan with the free hand to be sure to keep the flour and oil moving. After flour/oil mixture reaches a light tan color begin to lower the temperature and continue lowering the temperature until you reach the desired Roux.

After you reach the desired color of the Roux turn the temperature to medium heat and add the Trinity mixture.
Continue stirring with a large spoon until the Trinity mixture has softened and the onions are translucent.
The color of the Roux will continue to darken during this process.

Add Roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock gently stirring to combine Roux mixture and repeat until all Roux mixture is added to the stock.

Add the cut Andouille Sausage to the boiling stock.  
After the stock returns to a boil, lower temperature to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Occasionally stirring.

• While the gumbo is simmering, cut the chicken into bitesize pieces. 
•  Stir in the chicken into the simmering stock.
• Continue to stir and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
• Adjust The seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately after the simmering is done.

To serve as a main course:

• mound 1/3 cups of cooked rice in the center of a soup bowl, and then
• ladle about 1 and 1/4 cups of gumbo on top

To serve as an appetizer

• place 1 heaping teaspoon of cooked rice in a cup, and then
• ladle about 3/4 cups of gumbo on top

The gumbo may look like this in if placed in a large bowl.