Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Name: Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
Yield: feeds 6 to 8
Ingredients: 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks; 1 pound smoked sausage (andouille, chorizo, or kielbasa), sliced; 5 1/4 cups chicken broth or stock (to make your own, see page 168); 1 1/2 cups chopped onion; 3/4 cup chopped celery; 1 cup chopped green pepper; 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced; Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 1 1/2 cups Brown Roux (page 139); 2 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons dried thyme; Tabasco sauce; 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley; 8 cups Perfect Rice (page 117—make a double recipe)

January 24, 2012

Here’s another good old Louisiana dish we transported north for our menu. We thought its distinctive spicy, earthy taste was just what our customers were cravin’. Our gumbo is thick like a good hearty stew, and although we’ve personalized it, we’ve still kept it related to all other gumbos by thickening it with Brown Roux (page 139). The flour toasted in oil makes a dusky mix that binds all the veggies, meats, and seasonings into a veritable swamp of broodin’ flavors.

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