Gumbo: A Bowl of Comfort for Any Season!

Directions for the Gumbo

• First, grab your soup pot! I use a cast iron pot or a cast dutch oven because it’s better for browning and for roux ( think of your grandma’s Magnalite pot or cast iron pot ). I’ll pin a few options in which I use below these instructions.
• Lightly coat the pot with oil ( a cast iron pot browns everything beautifully however use your choice ) and throw in a pound of andouille sausage. If you like a little spice, you can also sub ½ pound of andouille and maybe ½ pound of smoked or spicy smoked sausage). Don’t be afraid to make this your recipe.
• While the sausage is cooking, season your chicken. I like to use both bone- in chicken AND boneless chicken thighs however if you want to just use chicken thigh, that’s fine as well. I find the bone-in gives off a broth and juice that makes the gumbo so delectable ! For the seasoning of the chicken, I use Cajun seasoning, a little salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. And no, I don’t measure the seasoning- I do it until my soul is happy. Truthfully, you can season the chicken with whatever makes you feel comfortable.
• Once the sausage is done, remove from the pot. Next, add a little bit of oil and start browning all of your chicken . If you’re using bone-in chicken, you can cook it about 75% through because since the gumbo will cook for a few hours , it will be fully cooked when the gumbo is done.
• While the chicken is cooking, start chopping up your holy trinity aka seasoning blend which is onion, bell pepper, and celery.
• In a skillet ( a separate one), lightly coat with oil. Here is where you can start cooking your holy trinity.Fun Fact: Holy trinity is used as a base for many of our dishes in Louisiana.
• When the chicken is done, remove the chicken from the pot. With this same pot is where you’ll start to cook your roux. I use the same pot to cook the roux because all of the drippings at the bottom of the pot creates a flavorful and rich roux.
• Anyway, back to the roux. Heat up 1/2 cup of your choice of oil. Make sure the oil is warm however don’t let the oil burn. Once the oil is hot, add your 1/2 cup of flour. NOTE FOR THE ROUX: So to cook the roux, add equal parts flour and equal parts oil. If you’re making a smaller batch of roux, I use ½ cup of oil and ½ cup of flour. For bigger batches, use 1 cup of oil and 1 cup of flour. For the oil, I stick to vegetable or canola oil however you can experiment with oil of your choice. Butter also works as well for many.
  
• Once you combine the flour and the oil, keep stirring. I use a wooden spoon to stir however some people prefer a whisk. The heat should be medium-low. Make sure to not burn the roux because if you do, you have to start all over with the roux ( the burnt taste will remain in the gumbo which won’t be any good).
• This is a perfect upper body workout because your arms will get a little tired. The roux will start to change colors the more you do it. It will go from white to amber yellow to tan, to light brown, to brown, to dark brown , to dark chocolate. The color of roux that some like is personal. I like my roux to be a little past milk chocolate but not yet dark chocolate. In some parts of Louisiana like New Orleans, the roux tends to be dark chocolate. It’s all about preference and doing it how you like.
  TIP: Just keep in mind that on the last step, you will have to add water and/or chicken stock and the roux will lighten considerably when you do this so try to make the roux past milk chocolate at the very least.
• Once the roux is the color you want, you can add your holy trinity. Turn the heat lower ( to a simmering point). In your pot, add your holy trinity.
• Next, add about 2.5 cups of water. You want to add enough water but not too much water because the roux will lighten too much prematurely . I start off by adding enough water for it to be a soup consistency yet still maintain the desired color. After this, add your chicken and sausage.
• Now this is the part where you can start to add your seasoning. I lightly sprinkle the roux with salt, Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper ( if you like it spicy, add a generous amount ) , onion powder, and garlic powder. In Louisiana, we season to taste and we’re not measurers. We season until our internal ancestors tell us to stop! If you like it spicy or more heavily seasoned, add more cayenne pepper and/or hot sauce. . Another tip is to add a little seasoning at the beginning then some more towards the end of the cooking time once the seasonings have meshed with the gumbo.
• Next, add a few bay leaves ( optional however if you use, remove once done ) , a tablespoon of minced garlic, and a tablespoon of gumbo file ( optional). Cook it over the next few hours. If you’re cooking with bone- in meat, cook until the meat starts to fall off and is tender.
  TIP: Some people also add chicken stock to the gumbo. It’s not the way I do it however it’s definitely equally as flavorful and really easy! You can try adding less water and a 32 ounce carton of chicken stock .
• Directions for the Potato Salad
• In a pot, boil russet potatoes with a pinch of salt . I cut potatoes into small pieces so it cooks faster and it’s easier to work with. Cook the potatoes until they are tender when poked with a fork.
• In a separate saucepan, boil the eggs. I find about 13 minutes is the happy spot for the eggs.
• Once the potatoes are cooled, mix in mayonnaise, regular or spicy mustard, Cajun seasoning, salt, and paprika. Gently toss it all together. Add in the boiled eggs . This is optional but you can also add in chopped celery, a splash of relish , or a dash of chopped pickles. Refrigerate until ready.