Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Method

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1. Brown the sausage in a dry heavy pot for 6 minutes, then the chicken for 6 minutes. Lift both out and reserve.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

2. Add the oil to the same pot over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour until smooth.

   Mark done

3. Now stir constantly with a flat wooden spoon for 35 to 45 minutes, reaching every part of the base. The roux goes blonde, then peanut butter, then copper, then milk chocolate. Do not stop stirring and do not raise the heat.

   Mark done Start 35 min timer

4. The moment it reaches dark chocolate colour, tip in the onion, pepper and celery all at once. It will hiss and steam; keep stirring for 5 minutes.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

5. Add the garlic, thyme, paprika, cayenne and Cajun seasoning and cook 1 minute.

   Mark done

6. Add the hot stock a ladleful at a time, whisking each in fully before the next, until smooth.

   Mark done

7. Return the chicken and sausage, add the bay leaves and salt, and simmer uncovered for 60 minutes, skimming the fat that rises.

   Mark done Start 60 min timer

8. Add the okra and simmer 25 minutes more until the gumbo has thickened and the okra has softened.

   Mark done

9. Finish with spring onions and parsley and serve over rice, with filé powder and hot sauce at the table.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• If the roux catches even slightly and shows black specks, throw it out and start again. Burnt roux poisons the whole pot.
• Have the trinity chopped and within reach before you start the roux. You will not have a spare thirty seconds.
• Filé powder is stirred in at the table, never boiled, or it turns stringy.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Steamed long-grain rice, always
• Cornbread or French bread
• A cold beer

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days — it improves overnight — and freeze 3 months. Reheat gently without boiling.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.