Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (with Video!)
Ingredients
3/4 cup duck/bacon fat; butter, vegetable/canola/avocado oil as alternative
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomato puree
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
12 ounces (about 2 cups) andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
4 teaspoons pure ground gumbo filé, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 bay leaves
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3/4 cup celery, diced
hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Louisiana Crystal
2 cups okra, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
Steamed white rice, for serving
Directions
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot/dutch oven (cast-iron is great for gumbo) over medium heat. Add in fat (or oil). Once fat/oil is shimmering and hot; make a roux by adding in flour and cooking/stirring over medium-low heat until it turns a rich chocolate brown color, about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to continually stir the roux to keep it from burning.
Once the roux has browned, add in tomato paste and stir until dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Then add in onions, bell peppers, garlic, and cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring regularly.
Add in stock and tomato puree and stir together. Increase the heat and bring mixture to a simmer, enabling mixture to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
Add in shredded chicken, sausage, 2 teaspoons gumbo filé powder, dried oregano, paprika, salt, bay leaves, thyme, and celery. Stir mixture well until fully incorporated in and let simmer for 2 hours on low heat. Be sure to stir mixture together every so often.
Add in a few squirts of hot sauce, okra, and remaining 2 teaspoons of gumbo filé powder, stir, and let cook for 10 more minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves from gumbo. Taste and adjust seasoning levels with salt/pepper, and hot sauce if you like more heat.
Serve gumbo with steamed rice and enjoy!
Notes
Okra: This vegetable seed pod has lovers and haters. Some love it and embrace all that it is and some can’t be bothered with its signature slippery inside texture. I find that its “slimey-ish” insides aren’t noticed much once it cooks along with everything else in the pot. However, feel free to roast the okra in the oven for a bit prior to adding to the pot. And fresh or frozen okra works great!