Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

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The cold weather is here... and plenty more coming where that came from and for me, that means soup!

Among my very favorite soup (stew maybe???) is this easy peasy rich delicious GUMBO!

Gumbo is the official dish of Louisiana.  There are lots of varieties available, from seafood to more vegetarian.  Often Okra and/or File are found in a new Orlean's restaurant gumbo.

But, mine has the flavor of New Orleans (in a spicy Andouille sausage), but I am one of those folks who leaves out the Okra.  And the chicken comes fresh from a rotisserie chicken, so of course this cold weather treat is perfect as one of my 52 Uses for a Rotisserie Chicken!


There is only one challenge to making this soup (stew), and that is the Roux.  A Roux is used as a thickening agent for the Gumbo in order to serve up that thick richness of the stew.  There, I decided that since this is not ever top be a thin watery dish, calling it a soup would be wrong.  Think thick Roux based liquid instead of a thin stock base.

So, while sounding difficult, with a hard and fast rule, in fact a Roux is pretty simple...

Equal parts fat and flour, cooked slow over a low heat while constantly being stirred.

In this case, 1/2 cup of butter, melted in a heavy bottom pan with 1/2 cup flour added.  Once you add the flour, plan on 10 minutes of gentle slowing as the fat comes to temperature and the flour begins to cook.  When done right, you can smell the roux start to cook.  It gets a nutty aroma that is just Heaven!

For this stew, I wanted a light to medium dark Roux.  The longer the roux cooks (always stirring), the darker it becomes.  But be warned, the longer it cooks, the more danger of burning.  And while the nutty aroma of a properly cooked roux is easy to spot, the burnt flour smell is just as easy.  If your roux smells burnt, toss and start over.

But, mine wasn't... So here's what I did...

Sausage and Chicken Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1/4 cup Canola Oil
• 1/2 Cup Onion, Coarse Chop
• 1/2 Cup Celery, Coarse Chop
• 1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, Coarse Chop
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock, divided
• 2 TBS Cajun Spice (store bought or make your own using my recipe for "Big Easy in a Jar"
• 1-1/2 Pound Andouille Sausage, Sliced
• 1-1/2 pound Chicken meat from a Rotisserie Chicken
• 3 to 4 Scallions, sliced for garnish
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro for garnish
• 1/2 Cup per serving White Rice

Cooking Directions

1. First, make a roux...Heat the butter, add the flour and stir slowly over low to medium low heat for at least 10 minutes, longer if you want a darker roux
2. While that is cooking, with your other hand (remember to stir your roux), saute the onions, bell pepper and celery in the canola oil.
3. During the last 2 minutes, add the garlic to the vegetables
4. When the Roux is smelling nutty and you have the desired color, add the vegetables to the roux and stir to coat.
5. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock, reserving another cup to thin the stew as needed
6. Add the sausage, and spices. Stir and cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat for all of the flavors to combine and the fat from the sausage to flavor the stew.
7. Add the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes to heat the chicken.
8. If needed, add more Chicken Stock to thin the stew.
9. Serve, add 1/2 cup Rice on the side of the bowl and top with sliced scallions And ENJOY!

Have yourself a Cajun Party with another New Orleans invention, The Muffuletta Sandwich served on the side...

And a Drunken Peaches and Raspberry Bread Pudding with a home made Peach/Raspberry Rum sauce (recipes to follow soon).

Making a GUMBO... a Great excuse for a party and an AMAZING one of my 52 Uses for a Rotisserie Chicken!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Recipes for Soup, Chili or Chowder" (Now more than 52 and still growing)

Soup from Scratch is one of the great kitchen joys.  The house smells amazing and the soup warms to the bone.  From broth to chowder, vegetarian to loaded up chili... Even a great idea for a party (love the Potato Soup Bar idea).  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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So, I am pleased to add this as one of my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken"  (Now close to 100!)

MUCH more than a chicken sandwich.  From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking).  More than enough ideas for that store bought bird to shine with just a little extra work.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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