File Gumbo
Submitted by hopfnerb
Cajun file gumbo built on homemade chicken stock with a dark butter roux, andouille sausage, and the holy trinity. Thickened with file powder and served over rice.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsReal gumbo starts with real stock, and this one means business. A whole chicken gets boiled until the meat falls off the bone, then the carcass and organs simmer down into a rich, full-bodied base that no store-bought carton can touch.
The roux is where the magic happens. Butter and flour in a cast iron skillet, stirred with a wooden spoon until it turns deep, dark brown. That color means the raw flour taste is gone and you’ve unlocked a nutty, almost chocolate-like depth that’s the backbone of any good Cajun gumbo. The holy trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) goes right into that hot roux and sizzles down before joining the stock.
Andouille gets browned separately with garlic and cayenne, then drained. That step keeps the gumbo from turning greasy. A low, gentle simmer for an hour pulls everything together.
Filé powder goes in at the very end, right before serving. Never boil it in the pot, as heat makes it stringy and slimy instead of silky.
Chef Tips
- Dark roux takes patience: Stir constantly and keep the heat medium. It can go from dark brown to burnt in seconds. If you see black specks, start over.
- Skim the stock: After boiling the chicken, let the stock cool slightly and skim the fat. Cleaner stock means cleaner gumbo.
- File powder is a finisher: Sprinkle it into individual bowls, not the whole pot. Reheated filé gets gummy.
Variations
- Seafood gumbo: Add shrimp and crab during the last 10 minutes of simmering instead of (or alongside) the chicken.
- Okra version: Stir in sliced okra with the vegetables for natural thickening, and skip the filé powder.
Ingredients
Directions
In a 7 quart stock pot boil whole chicken until meat separates from bone.
Remove meat and return bones and all organs except liver and simmer ½ hour to make stock.
Strain and skim fat.
Return stock to pot.
Heat butter in cast iron skillet and add flour.
Stir with wooden spoon until roux becomes dark brown.
Add onions, celery, scallions and bell pepper.
Sauté for five minutes, then add to stock.
In skillet, lightly brown chicken and andouille with garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper.
Drain off fat from sausage and add meat to stock with one bay leaf.
Simmer for one hour at a very low boil.
Immediately before serving sprinkle with file powder and serve over bowl of rice.
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