In her book, Crescent City Cooking, Susan Spicer describes soups as having the potential to be "soul-soothing." Maybe that's why I always enjoy gumbo; it is soothing and satisfying. It conjures up images of a warm kitchen,the cook stirring the roux with love and focused attention , and the glorious smells of simmering ingredients which tease us into anticipation of a beautiful, delicious meal. I don't have one scintilla of Cajun DNA, but gumbo evokes all these things in a way that no other soup or stew can. So, here's another and very good gumbo recipe. I have used Spicer's Smoked Duck and Andouille Gumbo recipe as the base and Alton's Brown's tip for making the all-important roux.
CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO
CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO
(8 servings)
- 1 3 lb. chicken*
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking okra
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 3 celery stalks,chopped
- 1/2 lb. andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups dark chicken stock
- 2 cups sliced okra,fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS chopped scallions
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- Bouquet Garni**
- Hot Sauce
- Cooked white rice,optional
Roast the chicken (click here for a recipe). Allow it to cook and pick the meat off the bones. Set aside.(Reserve the bones to make stock now or freeze for later use.)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6 quart cast iron Dutch oven (or enameled iron pot) and whisk together to combine. Place o the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times during the cooking process. If you like make the roux the day before and let it stand overnight. Then you can remove the excess oil that will rise to the top and you will have a much cleaner tasting gumbo when you are finished.
When the roux is ready, add the onions, peppers and celery, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook 3 more minutes. Then add the garlic and whisk in the stock, 1 cup at a time. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Heat 2 TBS vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, sear the okra and add to the pot, along with 1/2 cup scallions. Add the thyme, Worcester Sauce, Bouquet Garni, hot sauce to taste, the reserved chicken meat and a little salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring from time to time, for at least 1 hour. Skim off any fat from the top. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce and serve hot, with or without rice. Garnish with reserved scallions.
*If you are in a hurry, a rotisserie chicken from the market could serve to make this dish.
**Here is Susan Spicer's version of a Bouquet Garni
Take one bunch of parsley stems, stripped of leaves (or most of them), 2 small bay leaves or 1 medium bay leaf, and a generous sprig of fresh thyme. Lay the parsley stems down and spread them a little, then place the bay leaf and thyme in the center and surround with the parsley stems. Cut a 15-inch piece of kitchen twine and pick up the bundle in your left hand. Holding the string about 3 inches from the end between the thumb and index finger of your left hand, use your right hand to wrap the string twice around one end of the bundle, then bring the string down to the other end, wrapping around twice, then back to the middle and around once, meeting the 3-inch piece and tying a secure knot. ....Be sure to tie it snugly. If the bundle is not tied tightly, it can disintegrate when the parsley stems cook and become limp.
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