I may be a midwesterner, born and raised, but nothing can get between me and my gumbo. Or really southern food in general.
Gumbo is just so comforting and delicious. If you’ve never had gumbo, you’re in for an addiction for LIFE.
Another tip… crack a few eggs in the gumbo.. I learned this from my sister in law who is from Louisiana and I promise… they will be the best boiled eggs you’ve ever had.
I love to use basmati rice because it’s the easiest for me to cook, and I prefer the texture and taste, but use your favorite rice! Its so good with the rice and eggs in there… TRUST.
The Roux
The roux can be tricky to perfect. If you struggle with it, no worries!! You can buy gumbo roux from the store or online!
Making a gumbo roux involves cooking equal parts fat and flour over heat until it reaches the desired color and develops a nutty aroma, The key is to stir constantly to prevent burning. This can take some elbow grease but it is SO WORTH it I promise. I always use a wooden spoon but you can use a whisk too.
You’re going to let the fat melt down and heat just a little and then add in the flour and stir constantly.
The stages of a roux are
| Stage | Approximate Time (over medium-low heat) | Color Description | Aroma/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | ~3-5 minutes | White, slightly paler than the initial mixture | Raw flour taste is gone; mixture is bubbling vigorously |
| Blonde | ~10-15 minutes | Light tan or golden color | Smells like toasted bread or buttered popcorn |
| Peanut Butter | ~20-30 minutes | Color of peanut butter or copper | Nutty aroma becomes more pronounced; mixture thins out |
| Milk Chocolate | ~30-45 minutes | Color of melted milk chocolate | Aroma mellows; this is a common stopping point for many gumbos |
| Dark Chocolate | ~45-60+ minutes | Deep, rich dark brown (like dark chocolate) | Strong, bold, toasted nut flavor; provides the signature taste of a true Cajun gumbo |
The dark chocolate is what we are looking for! This is perfect for that amazing gumbo flavor.
Fat + Flour for a roux
- Flour. Using an all-purpose flour is essential to getting a roux that thickens up nicely and has the right flavor. Avoid using gluten-free flours as the lack of gluten does not thicken up like it Should.
- Fat. Butter and a neutral-flavored oil are the most commonly used fats. Salted or unsalted butter, vegetable oil, olive oil, or even peanut oil are all great options. But other animal fats, such as bacon fat, lard, and sausage drippings, may also be used.
Stage 1- White/Blonde
The fat and flour just got mixed together and it’s mostly white, but blonde looking because of the browned bits from the chicken and sausage. Totally normal to have dark brown bits in there, don’t worry. it adds so much flavor.
Stage 2- Blonde
After about 10 minutes, this is what we are looking like. Blonde and notes of toast or buttered popcorn. Keep stirring! Don’t take a bread longer than 30-60 seconds.
Stage 3- Peanut Butter
Now we are getting some color! This should be a peanut butter color. Nutty aromas are beginning to form. and you’re also probably questioning your choices at this point too.. Keep going!!
Stage 4-5 Chocolate Color
This is the final stages and then you’re done! keep going until it looks like a dark ish chocolate color. Isn’t it magical? This is where you want it to be for your gumbo. You’re almost done stirring.. if you’ve made caramel or any kind of candy before, this is honestly easier than that. Beautiful right?? Now it’s time to add our Holy Trinity!
What is the Holy Trinity?
The “holy trinity” in cooking is a flavor base for Cajun and Creole dishes made of finely diced onions, bell peppers, and celery!
This mix is sautéed in oil or butter (or in our case, the roux) to release its flavors and form the foundation for many dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffée. It is the Louisiana adaptation of the French mirepoix, which uses carrots instead of bell peppers. I love how everyone has their own version of everything. We come together.. through food!! I don’t judge, I just eat!! This is how it should be.
I chop mine up small. Once the roux is done, we add the holy trinity in!
We mix this well until the veggies are soft, then add the minced garlic and allow it to cook for just a few minutes.
mix again really well and we are going to start adding our liquid!
I add this one cup at a time, allowing it to come up to temp before adding another cup.
We are going to add all of the broth, bring it to a low boil, and then our remaining ingredients, and add back the chicken and sausage to cook fully.
After an hour I like to pull out the chicken thighs to chop them up. If you’re using bone-in you can remove the bones.
I did not use enough chicken for this gumbo, but after its roughly chopped, its going back in and its going to simmer on low for another 1.5-2 hours.
Yes this takes a while, I usually make this on sundays.. then I have leftovers for a few days and let me tell you… this is way better on day 2-3..
After it’s done, take the gumbo off the heat and come down from the boil then add in your Gumbo File.
Gumbo file is a thickening and flavoring agent made from the dried, ground leaves of the sassafras tree, commonly used in Cajun and Creole cuisine. Also called gumbo filé, it is added near the end of cooking or sprinkled into individual bowls to prevent a stringy texture and impart an earthy, woodsy flavor to dishes like gumbo.
This is why we don’t add it in before, because it can make it stringy. So pull it off the heat and mix it in well!
I loooove lots of rice in mine!
Ingredients
Method
- Season the chicken thighs well with seasonings of choice, I used garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and slap ya mama
- Chop up holy trinity- green pepper, onion and 3 celery stalks. I dice them pretty small.
- To a heavy bottom pot, heat to a medium and Cook the chicken thighs on both sides until browned, they don’t need to be cooked all the way. Pull the chicken out and add the sausage to the same pan, brown the sausage for a few minutes then add them to the bowl with the chicken and set aside. Sometimes I do this step the opposite and cook the sausage first and the oils help cook the chicken!
- make the roux: In the same pot (you don’t need to clean it out, you want that flavor even if its dark and hard on the bottom) add in 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1 cup of flour. Stir this continuously on medium – medium low until it develops a melted chocolate color. Do not let it burn! It should smell nutty. Not burnt. This can take up to 45 minutes.
- Once you have the melted chocolate color, add in the holy trinity mixture and stir until they have softened. This will be thick! Add in more seasonings at this point, I did slap ya mama, Tony’s (no salt), garlic and onion powder.
- When the veggies are softened, add in the chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Then start to add in the chicken stock 2 cups at a time, allowing it to come to temp before adding the next 2 cups. once its all together add in 1-2tbsps of better than bouillon chicken flavor, or 1-2 bouillon cubes.
- Add the chicken and sausage back to the pot, bring the pot to a low boil, add in bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and Louisiana hot sauce. cover and lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for an hour, cut up the chicken thighs (if you want!) Taste the gumbo and add additional seasonings if needed, then cover and simmer for another 1.5-2 hours.
- When it’s ready, pull off the heat and add in 1-2tsp of gumbo file, mix well and serve with rice!
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