Happy New Year!
I’ve been making this gumbo for years during any hint of cool weather. People request it year-round and. I get asked for the recipe all the time. It’s a very basic chicken and Andouille sausage recipe with a couple unusual ingredients…black eyed peas (Perfect for New Years) and homemade bone broth. My broth is nothing like the watery substance sold at grocery stores. Proper broth is nutrient dense and gel-like – it’s delicious and wholesome but a bit time consuming. This is what real broth looks like:
The beauty of gumbo is it can be made in hundreds of ways with as many or as few ingredients as you like. This recipe is very basic with a thick, hearty broth. When something is truly delicious you don’t need layer upon layer of flavors and ingredients but feel free to add anything you like – cooking is all about your own preferences.
Ingredients include:
– 1 whole, cut up roasted organic chicken
– 1 package (locally made, if possible) Andouille sausage, sliced
– Local black eyed peas – I use 2 cups but add as few or as many as you like or eliminate altogether
– Several cups homemade broth – you can use store bought, of course, but you’ll lose some depth of flavor
– Homemade dark rue – this consists of oil and flour – I use peanut oil
– Garlic cloves – I use 2-4 depending upon their size
– Cajun seasoning & salt
I use a large Le Creuset pot and a wooden spoon.
– Make your rue –
Some people like lighter rues, I prefer a dark, rich rue. When making a rue you don’t leave the pot. Adding enough oil to more than coat the bottom of the pot, heat the oil on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, gradually stir in flour. You can add more or less flour, depending upon the size of your pot and how thick you want the gumbo. I use around a 1/4th to half a cup and stir, stir, stir until it’s almost to the point of burning so you have to be ready and attentive as this will go quickly through color and texture changes:
Sooo, I wasn’t able to get a picture of the final rue color/texture because the process goes so quickly in the last stages. You can get an idea of it’s dark color below:
Once the rue is ready I toss in a handful of the sliced Andouille and stir them in to flavor the rue*. This would be the time to also throw in any veggies you may want to add. Let these items release some of their moisture and oils into the rue, stirring the entire time. Add the rest of the sausage, Cajun seasoning and garlic, stir. Then add the broth and black eyed peas.
*Don’t panic if your rue appears to be separated from the broth, it will all come together nicely.
I save the chicken for last since it’s already cooked. I add it about 10-15 minutes before serving.
Once all ingredients are added lower the heat, cover and let everything gently simmer together for an hour or so, it gets better the longer it cooks. Take care to stir periodically and sample for flavor adding salt, Cajun seasoning or more broth to taste. Gumbo flavor tends to transform the longer it simmers and varies with different types of ingredients, especially the sausage/andouille. The end result should be a hearty, rich, stick to your bones gumbo.
I promise I’ll get better pictures of this process at some point.