Classic Chicken Gumbo Recipes

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of chocolate milk, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. If you see black specks in the mixture, start over.
• Stir onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; blend thoroughly. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken, and simmer 1 hour more. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.

CLASSIC SAUSAGE CHICKEN AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• Put chicken pieces in a bowl. Blend salt, peppers, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika, granulated garlic, and file powder. Rub four teaspoons of the mixture over the chicken. Set the rest of the spice mixture aside.
• Put the flour in a bowl and add two teaspoons of the reserved spice mixture. Blend well.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet and add the oil. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture to coat well, shaking off excess. -Reserve the leftover flour.
• When the oil is hot and almost smoking, add the cut-up chicken pieces skin-side down. Cook for about five minutes on one side until golden brown. Turn and cook about four minutes on the second side until nicely browned. Drain excess oil thoroughly on paper towels.
• Pour off all but one cup of fat from the cast-iron skillet. Heat the oil over high heat until it is almost smoking,and then add the reserved seasoned flour. Stir the mixture rapidly and constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture is amber brown. Do not burn.
• Add the chopped onion, celery and green pepper to the roux and then stir to blend. Remove the cast-iron skillet from the heat.
• Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a large Dutch Oven.
• Add about half a cup of the roux mixture
• Add the smoked sausage and stir. Cook over high heat, stirring often from the bottom, about 15 minutes.
• Add the chicken pieces, bay leaves, and finely minced fresh garlic. Cook about 40 minutes, on medium-low, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the chicken pieces. Cut the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Cut the chicken into cubes or shred it and add it back to the pot. At this time, add the Okra if you did not use file powder and simmer for 7 minutes.
• Serve with white rice or potato salad (or both) spooned into the gumbo.

AMERICAN KITCHEN CLASSIC LOUISIANA GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add sausage and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage browns. Remove sausage from pan; set aside.
• Add chicken to pan; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned (bottom of pan will be brown). Remove from pan; set aside.
• Add butter to pan; when melted, stir in flour and cook 10 minutes or until mixture is golden brown and nutty in aroma, stirring constantly. If it burns even slightly, throw it out and start over again.
• Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to pan; stir to combine. Add broth and undrained tomatoes; bring mixture to a boil.
• Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and red pepper. Add shrimp and okra to pan; cook 5 to 7 minutes more or until shrimp are pink and okra is warmed through.
• Return chicken and sausage to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. Remove from heat; stir in file powder just before serving. Serve over rice, if desired.

CLASSIC CHICKEN GUMBO RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Peel and chop the onions .
• Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise; remove the seeds and stem. Cut the pepper into 1/4-inch dice.
• Chop the celery. Set the vegetables aside.
• For the roux , melt the shortening in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until medium brown-about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the roux constantly to avoid burning. If it burns, you will have to start over.
• Add the chopped vegetables to the roux, adjust the heat to medium-low to medium, and continue to cook, constantly stirring, until the onion is translucent.
• Slowly add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Add the diced tomatoes, okra, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, cayenne, and bay leaf; bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the rice following the package directions. Set aside and keep warm.
• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Add the chicken to the soup and cook, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes longer, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper, as needed.
• To serve, scoop a mound of rice into the center of each of the four large, shallow bowls. Ladle the soup around the rice. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and/or green onion tops, if desired.