Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Cut: Bone-in chicken
Serves: 8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) spicy smoked pork sausage (eg Chorizo)
1/2 cup (125 ml) canola oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
3-4 lbs chicken pieces, bone in, skin on (eg drumsticks, thighs)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 cup (250 ml) flour
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
4 clove garlic, minced
8 cups (2 L) chicken stock
4 cups (1 L) water
2 bay leaves
2 tsp (10 ml) dried thyme
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) cayenne pepper
1/2 lb (225 g) okra, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
For Serving:
1 bunch green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced
Louisiana style hot sauce to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) hot cooked rice per person
Preparation
Tip: Gumbo can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost, reheat then finish with the green onions and hot sauce for serving.
Slice sausage lengthwise then cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat skillet over medium high heat; add the sausage and cook until well browned. Transfer sausage to a large bowl. Pour 1/2 cup water into the skillet and stir to release the browned bits stuck on the bottom. Save this liquid.
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat; add half the chicken and brown on both sides (3-4 minutes per side). Transfer browned chicken to the bowl with the sausage. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Add flour to the oil left in the Dutch oven and stir constantly over medium high heat for 4-6 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken stock and continue whisking until smooth. Stir in onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, water, bay leaves, thyme and cayenne. Add sausage, chicken and sausage water.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add okra and continue to simmer until chicken starts to fall off the bone (about 15 minutes).
Transfer chicken to a plate. Discard the bay leaves. Skim fat from the surface of the gumbo.
When the chicken is cool enough to touch, remove the skin and bones. Pull the meat into bite size pieces and add it back to the gumbo.
Just before serving, stir in the green onions and hot sauce. Put 1/4 cup cooked rice in the bottom of large soup bowls and ladle the hot gumbo over the rice.
