The origins of Gumbo Ya-Ya
Gumbo Ya-Ya was first coined by the influential Chef Paul Prudhomme, the first American-born Executive Chef of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. It is arguably one of the most famous dishes to come out of Louisiana. Gumbo is a derivative of the West African word for okra, suggesting this was the primary ingredient. The Choctaws were the first to add filé (dried and ground sassafras leaves) to the complex flavor of the dish.
There are many options for the principal ingredient, including chicken, ham, oysters, turkey, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit, beef, veal, crabs, soft-shell crabs, shrimp, greens, and cabbage. In addition, some types of gumbo, most with okra, others with filé. I add a little of both because I like the taste of each. The ingredients are easy to gather, and other than the slow process of making the roux, the recipe is pretty simple.
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 creamy potato salad (yes, this is a thing) make this dish a stick-to-your-ribs meal.
To make gumbo properly, begin by prepping everything for each stage before putting it all together. Chop the vegetables and prep the meats so they can be added as needed. Start by slicing garlic cloves very thin, and 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 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!
Wine Pairings: Spanish Garnacha (Grenache), French Rose, Pilsner Beer, or German Riesling
Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo aka Gumbo Ya Ya
Equipment
- heavy bottom large pot with a lid
- chef knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
- wire whisk
Ingredients
Roux
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil or rendered duck fat
- 2 cups flour
Meat
- 1 ½ lbs chicken, boneless/skinless thighs cut into cubes
- 1 ½ lbs chicken boneless/skinless breast cut into cubes
- 1 lb andouille sausage, cooked, cut in half, and sliced
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tsp salt, kosher
- 2 pinches all-purpose flour (for dusting chicken)
- 4 cloves of garlic, large sliced very thin
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 whole green bell pepper, diced
- 1 whole jalapeno, pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 whole poblano pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 whole onion, white or yellow, peeled and diced
- 2-3 whole bay leaves or 1 tbsp of ground bay leaf
- ⅓ cup parsley, Italian, fresh, minced
- 2 tsp cayenne, ground
- 1 tbsp kosher or sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp pepper, black course ground
- 1 ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 ½ tsp filé powder (otherwise known as ground sassafras leaves)
- 1 ½ tsp fresh thyme stemmed/chopped can substitute dried
- 1 tsp fresh oregano stemmed/chopped can substitute dried
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp paprika, sweet
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Crystal or Tabasco hot sauce, or your favorite hot sauce
- 24 oz okra, fresh or frozen cut into 1/2 inch slices (fresh will take a bit longer to cook than frozen)
- 12 cups chicken stock, preferably roasted but regular will do
Garnish
- scallions, finely chopped for garnish
- rice, white cooked
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Remove any chicken fat or skin from the boneless chicken and cut the meat into cubes—season with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of flour and reserve.
- Heat up a sauté pan with about 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Cook the meat in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until the chicken meat is slightly browned all over and reserve.
Prep the Vegetables and Measure Out the Seasonings
- Chop the onion, celery, and green peppers. Slice the garlic cloves very thin and reserve. Prepare all the dry spices (bay leaves, thyme, oregano, chili powder, file, mustard, cayenne, white pepper, and paprika) and premix in a bowl. Reserve
Making the Roux
- To make the roux, start with the oil/duck fat to a heavy bottom large pot. Heat the oil until very hot, but not smoking. Add the flour and whisk in, stirring constantly. Continue stirring for about 40 minutes to an hour until you’ve reached a very dark roux.
- Once you’ve attained a dark, but not burned roux, whisk the vegetable mixture to the roux and continue to stir. Add the dry spice mix and the Crystal and Worcestershire sauce and stir to mix in. Let this season the roux while stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Add the Reserved Ingredients
- Add the chicken stock and whisk in to incorporate. Once the chicken stock has come up to a simmer (180-190 degrees) and thickened, add the chopped parsley, reserved chicken meat, and the sliced andouille sausage. Reduce the heat to medium (170°F or 75°C) and let the gumbo cook together for 5-10 minutes. Add the cut okra and stir to mix in. Cook the gumbo for another 10-15 minutes over medium heat or until the okra is tender. Reduce the gumbo to serving temperature (150°F or 65°C) for service.
Serving Gumbo Ya-Ya
- Serve the gumbo over cooked white rice and top with additional rice and chopped scallions.