Chicken, Okra & Sausage Gumbo
Submitted by fujisan
Chicken, okra and sausage gumbo: dark-roux Louisiana stew with smoked sausage, fresh okra and tomatoes, simmered low and slow for 2 hours. Authentic Creole one-pot done the old-school way.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is gumbo built the way Louisiana grandmothers built it, before convenience and shortcuts crept into the recipe. A real dark roux is the foundation. Two pounds of chicken and a pound of smoked sausage bring meat depth. Fresh okra does the thickening that gives the gumbo its proper viscous, spoonable body without flour-based thickeners.
The dark roux is the make-or-break step. Two tablespoons of oil and flour cooked over medium-low heat, stirred constantly, until it reaches the color of dark chocolate or a worn copper penny. This takes 20 to 30 minutes of patient stirring and there is no shortcut. Pull too early and the gumbo tastes flat; burn it and the whole pot tastes bitter. Pay attention.
Okra is the second thickener and the more distinctive one. As it simmers, okra releases a viscous slime that thickens the broth into proper gumbo consistency. This is exactly what you want, despite what the slime-averse might say. Fresh okra works better than frozen for this purpose.
The layered build (chicken browned, sausage browned in the same fat, vegetables sweated separately, roux made, everything combined) is what gives this gumbo its complexity. Each component contributes its own flavor base to the final pot. Skipping the browning steps produces a gumbo that tastes like soup, not a Creole classic.
Chef Tips
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. The bones add gelatin to the broth and the skin adds flavor when browned.
- Andouille sausage is the traditional choice but any good smoked link sausage works. Skip pre-cooked breakfast sausage.
- Stir the roux constantly. Walking away even briefly burns it.
- Serve over white rice with hot sauce and crusty French bread on the side.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of file powder (ground sassafras leaves) at the end for the proper Creole finishing thickener.
- Stir in 1 pound of peeled shrimp in the last 10 minutes for chicken-sausage-shrimp gumbo.
- Use the Cajun “holy trinity” of onion, celery and bell pepper instead of just onion for more authentic flavor.
- Add 1 to 2 bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme along with the vegetables for herbier depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut up chicken, remove skin if you like.
Dredge the chicken with flour salt and pepper.
Fry the chicken until brown.
Slice up a pound of the link sausage.
After the chicken is browned, place sausage in the same skillet. (use a heavy iron one)
Brown the sausage, on both sides.
Save the grease from chicken and sausage.
Fry the tomatoe, onion and okra in about 2 tablespoons or shortening or oil, until they become tender.
Make a roux with 2 teaspoons of oil and 2 teaspoons flour, stir and brown over a medium-low heat until the roux is as dark as possible without burning it.
Do not burn the roux. Just make it real dark.
Place chicken and sausage in the roux, stir a bit.
Then place all ingredients into a heavy, deep iron pan, add water and cook about 2 hours.
Cook slow, add water if needed.
The okra will thicken the gumbo as it cooks.
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