Here’s another good old Louisiana dish we transported north for our menu. We thought its distinctive spicy, earthy taste was just what our customers were cravin’. Our gumbo is thick like a good hearty stew, and although we’ve personalized it, we’ve still kept it related to all other gumbos by thickening it with Brown Roux (page 139). The flour toasted in oil makes a dusky mix that binds all the veggies, meats, and seasonings into a veritable swamp of broodin’ flavors.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 6 to 8

　　

The Gumbo

1/4 cup vegetable oil

　　1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks

　　1 pound smoked sausage (andouille, chorizo, or kielbasa), sliced

　　5 1/4 cups chicken broth or stock (to make your own, see page 168)

　　1 1/2 cups chopped onion

　　3/4 cup chopped celery

　　1 cup chopped green pepper

　　1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

　　Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　1 1/2 cups Brown Roux (page 139)

　　2 bay leaves

　　2 teaspoons dried thyme

　　Tabasco sauce

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　

The Accoutrement

8 cups Perfect Rice (page 117—make a double recipe)

　　

Step 1

Heat up the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup kettle over medium-high heat til hot but not smoking. Add the chicken in batches so you’re not crowding the pieces. Cook, turning pieces often, til they’re lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. As the pieces get done, toss them into a bowl. Add the sausage slices to the same pot and cook long enough to render out the fat. Pluck the sausage out of the pot and drain on paper towels.

　　

Step 2

Pour off all but 1/4 cup of fat from the pot. Swish the pot with 1/4 cup of the broth, scraping in all the tasty bits. Put the pot back on the stove and throw in the onions, celery, green peppers, and jalapeños, seasoning them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook til soft over medium-high and then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the Brown Roux and give everything a good stir. Whisk in the remaining 5 cups of broth. Dump in the chicken along with any accumulated juices (no sausage yet), and throw in the bay leaves.

　　

Step 3

Cover the pan and bring the contents to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour. Every now and then, skim the oil that comes to the surface and give the gumbo a stir. Once the gumbo gets a nice velvety look, toss the sausage back in and season with thyme and a generous amount of Tabasco. Pull out the bay leaves, check the seasonings, and sprinkle with parsley.

　　

Step 4

Spoon some Perfect Rice into a bunch of bowls. Ladle the gumbo over it and bring it to the table.

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