I grew up in Louisiana, so that automatically makes me an honorary gumbo snob. Most restaurants have their take on gumbo, and each time I venture out to try one I find that I’m so disappointed. (Just for the record, tomatoes and okra do not belong in gumbo.) This is my fool-proof recipe for traditional Cajun gumbo, created by my grandmother who can recite the Hail Mary in Cajun French, so it’s definitely as authentic as she is.
Ça c’est bon
Ingredients:
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1 green bell-pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 jar of Richard’s Roux
- Your favorite Cajun seasoning (I prefer Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning.)
- 1 bunch of green onions
- 1 package of your favorite smoked sausage
Method
- Prepare by chopping all vegetables finely, deboning chicken, and slicing sausage then place them to the side.
- Begin melting down roux over medium-high heat. Stirring consistently until the roux begins to look like melted milk chocolate. Cook for longer to achieve a darker roux. If the roux begins to stick or burn, gradually add chicken stock and continue to stir.
- Add your chopped celery, bell-pepper, and onion to your roux and cook for another ten minutes. (stir and add chicken stock if it sticks)
- Once the vegetables are slightly cooked, brown your sausage in a separate saucepan.
- Once the sausage is browned add some chicken stock to the pan to loosen any drippings.
- After that, add the sausage to the roux and vegetables.
- Add the rest of the stock, along with the Cajun seasoning (to taste), Let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add water to cover all meat in vegetables in your pot
- You can now bring it to a boil
- Once it’s boiled stir in the chicken and cook for about one and a half hours. Serve with white rice and Bon Appetit!
