Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Mom just had foot surgery, so my sister and I went over to make a gumbo for our parents. Our family gumbo is a compromise. Dad's family made a lighter roux. Mom's family made a darker roux. Ours is in between. Today we made a Chicken and Andouille Gumbo. The andouille capital of the world is in LaPlace, LA. It lies between the two towns where my Mom and Dad were raised. To this day we still bring andouille home from Jacob's in LaPlace(WARNING Link has music) when we travel to south Louisiana. Andouille is a highly smoked sausage that we just have not found here in north Louisiana. My Mom's recipe is a little different from my grandmothers' recipes. She uses chicken breast where my grandmothers used a whole hen. I remember growing up being served a bowl of gumbo with chicken on the bone with the skin still attached on ocassion. My sister and I really did not know what to do with that. Grant it using a whole bird does add a lot of flavor. Often my grandfather would sift through the finished gumbo and de-bone it then serve it. My mother's recipe eliminates that task and is still delicious. Today I used boneless, skinless chicken breast and thighs.

Shown with File



Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
Makes 16 servings, about 8 quarts

1 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large onion, chopped fine

1 green bell pepper, chopped fine

9 stalks celery, chopped fine

3 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 2" pieces 

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 2" pieces

2 lb andouille, sliced

10 cups water
salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning to taste

1 bunch of parsley, chopped

1 bunch green onions, sliced

2 pints oysters (optional)

 

Heat flour and oil on medium heat stirring constantly until milk chocolate or dark caramel color.  

Roux

Veggies in the Roux

Add bell pepper, celery, and onion cook stirring often until softened and liquid starts to form.

Season chicken with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Add seasoned chicken cook until chicken is cooked.  Add andouille. Cook until liquid forms.



Seasoned Chicken

Andouille



Chicken and Andouille
in Roux

Water, Parsley and
Green Onions added

Add hot water until desired thickness is achieved. Simmer and season to taste.  



30 minutes before serving strain oysters, reserving liquid.  Add liquid to Gumbo and oysters one by one to make sure oysters are free of pieces of shell.  Add parsley and green onions.

    

Serve over rice.