A few years ago I took a trip to New Orleans and fell in love with Cajun/Creole cuisine. As it can be very difficult to find authentic Cajun food outside of the Big Easy, I was delighted to find Tom Fitzmorris’s New Orleans Food at the bookstore. Fitzmorris was born and raised in New Orleans, and spent over 30 years compiling and developing the quintessential collection of this city’s best dishes. I highly recommend this cookbook! Every recipe I have tried has turned out delicious and authentic.
This recipe makes a large pot of gumbo, so be ready to share with lots of hungry friends! Or, share with just a few, and enjoy this for the rest of the week–it makes delicious leftovers.
Chicken-Andouille Gumbo
Prep/Cooking time: ~4 hrs.
Serves 6 to 10.
- One 6 lb. stewing chicken (I use ~6 lb. of bone-in chicken thighs and breasts)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 12 cups chicken stock (or water)
- 1 Tbsp. salt **
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. Tabasco
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 lb. andouille or other smoked sausage
- 2 green onions
- 2-3 cups long grain rice
- Filé powder (optional)
