Gumbo!  What a wonderful dish and word! I just love saying it!

I really loved my trip to New Orleans and I especially loved all the food I had there. I hope you are enjoying all of the recipes I am sharing from my experience in the south! Today I am making chicken and sausage gumbo! Gumbo might be my most favourite food I had in the south because it is warm, cozy, savoury and very satisfying! 

The first gumbo I had was at the Gumbo Shop and then we were taught how to make it at the New Orleans School of Cooking. I learned a lot in NOLA about gumbo and it’s history, so let’s have a little Gumbo 101!

Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is a soup or stew that originated in Louisiana and consists of a stock, meat or seafood, thickener and the holy trinity. What is the holy trinity you ask? It is celery, green peppers and onions. 

The thickener can be a roux, okra or filé powder which comes from sassafras leaves and the thickener of choice depends on where the gumbo recipe originates from. A roux is from the French, okra is from African origin and sassafras is from Choctaw origination. 

Gumbo recipes will also differ depending on if they are Cajun or Creole. Cajun gumbo is typically darker, thickened with a roux or filé powder or both, and made with seafood or poultry. Creole gumbo, on the other hand, is usually made with seafood, tomatoes and a thickener. 

Because my gumbo is made with poultry and sausage, thickened with a roux and filé powder, and does not contain tomatoes, it would be classified as a Cajun gumbo.

On to the making of this amazing dish!

After gathering the ingredients, I started by cooking the chicken in butter and olive oil. There is a lot of butter and oil in Creole and Cajun cooking. Being a health conscious person, I don’t typically use butter in cooking, but for Cajun and Creole cooking, I feel I just have to. The original way I was taught in the New Orleans School of Cooking actually called for lard or butter, or a mix of lard and butter. I am changing my recipe by using less butter and adding olive oil instead, but I couldn’t omit all of the butter entirely. 

Once the chicken is cooked, add in the sausage. I bought double smoked sausage for this recipe as I was taught that the sausage is important. Really I should be using Andouille sausage, but I couldn’t find it! I am still going to be looking in Edmonton for a place that sells Andouille sausage… and if any of my YEG readers out there know where to get it, please let me know! 

Remove the chicken and sausage from the heat and start working on the roux. I made a roux before for the Chicken Creole.

Once the roux is a nice dark brown, add in the trinity and let sauté until just starting to soften. 

Add the chicken and sausage back into the pot and then add in the broth and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally. 

Serve over rice and garnish with green onion. Enjoy! 

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Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 links double smoked sausage
• 1/2 cup flour

Trinity

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 clove chopped garlic
• 2 cup chicken stock
• Joe's Stuff Seasoning
• Cooked Rice
• 1/4 tsp gumbo filé

Instructions

1. Season and brown chicken in oil and butter. Add sausage and cook with chicken. Remove both from pot and set aside.
2. Make roux with oil, butter and flour over medium heat. Stir frequently until roux turns a light brown.
3. Add trinity to the roux and sauté until vegetables soften. Add garlic and continue to stir.
4. Return chicken and sausage to vegetables and cook for another 5-7 minutes, continuing to stir frequently.
5. Stir in chicken stock and Joe's seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour while stirring occasionally.
6. Add gumbo filé and stir. Serve over cooked rice with green onions sprinkled over top.

Did you miss my NOLA trip posts? Here they are! Part one, part two and part three!

Want to see more NOLA Southern Cooking?! Try the Red Beans and Rice, Chicken Creole and wash it all down with a Sazerac!