Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo (aka Gumbo Ya Ya)

The day I made this Gumbo Ya Ya, it was cold and wet outside. 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 up 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 degrees. Peanut oil is commonly used because it 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, you are committed until the roux is done. Never to walk away while pot while it is on the heat. The oil is already super hot and leaving it to go 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 (worse case scenario). So get comfortable or find a whisking partner to switch off tasks, and prepare to whisk the roux until it is done to the point you want.

A white roux means the flour has 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, there are no black flecks swirling about. The constant whisking keeps the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pot. This is the “peanut butter” or third stage. Many people stop here since this is at about 20 minutes of stirring and cooking. The flavor is developed and suitable for use in Cajun or Creole dishes.

This is the fourth stage, the “chocolate” or “dark” roux, which 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 (roux meaning “red” in french), thus the characteristic name. Reduce the heat to medium at this point.

Once you’ve reached the roux stage of your choice add the vegetables, except for the okra. 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 at medium while you add the next few ingredients.

Add the wet and dry seasonings and herbs according 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 brought up to heat, 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 rotisserie chicken are great 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 precooked versions of andouille out there, I prefer to use fresh 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.

Add fresh parsley.

Add the cooked, cut okra to the gumbo. The okra is a great way to add flavor as well as 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, or cornbread, and cold beer or iced tea. Also try it with a side of creamy potato salad. Oh man, this is so good!