American · Main · Hard
Gumbo
Dark roux based stew with chicken, andouille, and okra, served over rice. The soul of Louisiana in a bowl.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Gumbo, in 5 ideas
- The roux is everything. Dark chocolate color means deep nutty flavor. Do not rush it and do not walk away.
- A flat wooden spatula scrapes the corners where roux burns first.
- Okra thickens the gumbo naturally as it cooks down.
- Filé powder goes on at the table, never in the pot, or it gets stringy.
- Gumbo should coat a spoon but still be soupy enough to ladle over rice.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil and 1 cup flour (for roux)
- 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, and 2 celery stalks, all diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups sliced okra
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning mixed with 1 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 4 green onions, sliced
- Cooked white rice and file powder for serving
How to make it
Directions
- Make the roux: heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 to 45 minutes until the color of dark chocolate.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the hot roux. Cook 8 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the broth. Add the sausage, chicken, okra, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and cayenne.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer on low 1.5 hours until the chicken shreds easily.
- Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot.
- Skim excess fat. Serve over rice, topped with green onions and a pinch of filé if using.
Make the roux in the oven instead of on the stovetop: whisk oil and flour in a Dutch oven and bake at 350F for 90 minutes, stirring every 20. No arm workout required.