Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo (aka Gumbo Ya-Ya)

The day I made this Gumbo Ya-Ya, it was cold and wet outside. So a hot bowl of gumbo hit the spot. Warm garlic bread, a cold beer, and a side of creamy potato salad (yes, this is a thing) make this dish a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.

To make gumbo properly, begin by prepping everything for each stage before putting it all together. Chop the vegetables and prep the meats in advance so they can be added as needed. Start by slicing garlic cloves very thin, chop the celery, green bell pepper, seeded and stemmed jalapeno, onions, and poblano chile.

Measure out the All-Purpose flour.

Heat the oil to hot over medium-high, but never to the smoking point. Be sure to check Google for the smoking point on oils. Heating any oil to this point can chemically change the properties of the oil and make it very unhealthy, so get your oil hot, but not the point of ignition. For vegetable oil, heat to (170°-175°F or 76°- 79°C) Peanut oil has a high smoking point. On this day, I’m using pure rendered duck fat to give my gumbo another layer of umami.

IMPORTANT! Once you start to make the roux, stay with the roux until cooked. Never walk away while the pot while it is on the heat. The oil is already super hot, and leaving it to go to the fridge, answer the phone or talk to a neighbor at the door is a sure way to invite disaster. The flour and oil will burn, and you will have to start over (best case scenario), or the oil will ignite (worst-case scenario). So get comfortable or find a whisking partner to switch off tasks, and prepare to whisk the roux until it is at the point you want.

A white roux means the flour has been mixed evenly with the oil and cooked for a few minutes. At this point, the roux is a simple thickening agent without any complex flavors cooked in.

Cooked to the second stage, this is a blonde roux and has started to take on a little bit of flavor.

This is the third stage of a roux. As you can see, no black flecks are swirling. The constant whisking keeps the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pot. The image is the peanut butter or third stage. Many people stop here since this is at about 20 minutes of stirring and cooking. Again, the flavor is suitable for use in Cajun or Creole dishes.

The fourth stage, the chocolate or dark roux, took 45 minutes to 1 hour of continuous whisking and moving the pot on and off the flame to regulate the heat. The flour is fully cooked and not burned in any way. The aroma is that of deep-roasted nuts. The roux takes on a red tinge (meaning red in french), thus the characteristic name. Reduce the heat to medium at this point.

Add the vegetables, except for the okra, once you’ve reached the roux stage of your choice. They will immediately start to sizzle and cook, engulfing the room with an incredible aroma.

Stir or whisk the vegetables and roux together. The heat should be medium while you add the following few ingredients.

Add the wet and dry seasonings and herbs according to the recipe below. Once they are incorporated, add the chicken stock and whisk everything together. Continue heating over medium while whisking occasionally. Once the gumbo is hot, the roux will thicken. At that point, reduce the heat to low or medium-low to simmer.

Use fresh organic chicken whenever possible. Cooked chicken from the grocery store or leftovers from a rotisserie chicken is excellent options. Toss the chicken with a pinch or two of flour, salt, and black pepper.

Sauté the chicken, giving it a brown crust.

While there are many great pre-cooked versions of andouille, I prefer to use freshly made andouille to get a crisp caramelized edge on the casing.

Slice each link in half and then slice it into half-moons.

Add the cooked chicken and andouille sausage to the gumbo.

Next, add fresh parsley.

To this, add the cooked, cut okra to the gumbo. The okra is a great way to add flavor and texture, and it acts as a thickening agent. Some prefer to add filé powder to enhance the flavor and thicken the gumbo. I add both, so I’m not missing either ingredient.

To serve, add cooked long grain rice to the bottom of the serving dish.

Ladle the gumbo over the rice and top with an additional tablespoon of rice, followed by minced green scallions, filé powder, and paprika.

Serve Gumbo Ya Ya with plenty of extra Tabasco-style hot sauce, filé powder, crackers, Captain’s Wafers, garlic bread, cornbread, and a cold beer or iced tea. Also, try it with a side of creamy potato salad. Oh man, this is so good!