Chicken-Sausage Gumbo

Recipe Ingredients

1		Chicken - cut into
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Cayenne pepper - 10 pieces
		Salt
		Frying
		Garlic powder
7 cups	1659ml	Chicken stock
		Cayenne pepper
		OR canned
1 cup	62g / 2.2oz	Onions - finely chopped
1/2 lb	227g / 8oz	Andouille smoked
1 cup	237ml	Green bell pepper
		Cut into - finely chopped
3/4 cup	82g / 2.9oz	Celery - finely chopped
		Note about
1 1/4 cups	78g / 2.8oz	Flour
		Ingredient)
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Salt
1 teaspoon	5ml	Garlic
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Garlic powder

Recipe Instructions

Cut extra fat from the chicken pieces. Sprinkle each generously on both sides with salt, garlic powder and cayenne, rubbing the spices in after all three have been applied. Let stand at room temperature while you chop the vegetables and heat the oil.

Chop the onions, bell pepper and celery, combine in a bowl, and set aside.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of oil until very hot 375 degrees F. to 400 degrees F. Leave about 1/2 inch of space below the top of the pan, so it won't overflow when you add the chicken pieces later. Use a deep fry thermometer if you have one.

While the oil is heating, combine the flour, about 1/2 t salt, about 1/2 t garlic powder and about 1/2 t cayenne in a paper bag. When the oil is almost hot enough, add the chicken pieces one or two at a time and shake until they are well-coated. Save about 1/2 cup of the leftover flour.

Put the stock in a large kettle or Dutch oven and begin heating it to a boil. Fry the chicken until the crust is brown on both sides and the meat is cooked. This takes about 6 minutes a side for light meat, a bit longer for dark. Drain on paper towels. You may have to fry the chicken in two batches.

Pour the hot oil into a glass measuring cup, being very careful to leave as many of the browned particles as possible in the pan. Pour about 1/2 cup of the oil back into the pan and discard the rest.

Place the pan over high heat. Using a whisk, gradually stir in the leftover flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until this roux is dark red-brown (about 4 minutes). Be very careful not to scorch the mixture, or to splash any onto your skin as you stir. Remove from the heat, add the vegetable mixture all at once and stir until the vegetables are all coated. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.

Check that the stock has reached a boil. Add the vegetable mixture to the stock in spoonfuls, stirring with the whisk after each addition. Return to a boil and stir in the andouille and the minced garlic. Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes.

While the gumbo is cooking, remove the skin from the chicken pieces, and cut off as much meat as you can. Cut the meat into small pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes). When the gumbo is cooked, add the chicken meat.

The original recipe did not call for this, but I take time to spoon off the fat from the top of the gumbo. This is mostly oil, which does not solidify when you chill it. You should be able to take off at least 1/2 cup.

To serve as a main course, mound about 1/2 cup of cooked gumbo-style rice in a soup bowl, and ladle about 1 1/4 cups gumbo around the rice. For an appetizer, use about 1 T of rice and about 3/4 cup of gumbo.

NOTES:

* Gumbo with chicken and Andouille sausage -- This is a recipe that I got originally from Paul Prudhomme's cookbook, "The Louisiana Kitchen." It is a classic Louisiana dish. Serve with gumbo-style rice.

* Note about Andouille (pronounced an-DOO-ee) sausage: this is a uniquely spiced, smoked sausage made mostly in Louisiana. If you can get some, then use it; it makes a substantial difference to the recipe to use it. If you can't, then try the Polish sausage kielbasa as a substitute. Do not substitute the sausage called "Louisiana Sausage" or "Louisiana Hot Sausage." It's not the same thing.

Source:
Women's Day - 5/13/97

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