Submitted by René McCracken, NTCC Director of Agriculture
Culture, tradition, family and experiences are the heart and soul of every good cook’s recipe arsenal. In my case, I also add in the agriculture element of growing the ingredients for my Farm Fashioned Recipes. Although we are in east Texas there are several connections and a short drive into Louisiana that have me including a little creole in my list of dishes. A staple among Louisiana cuisine has always been Gumbo and since it is basically a creole flavored stew - the variations of gumbos are endless. Today’s farm fashioned recipe is Chicken Andouille Sausage Gumbo.
My interpretation starts with the planting of traditional vegetables, herbs and raising and processing of our own brand of andouille sausage. Although Gumbo can include seafood - we don’t raise that at NTCC Farm and with most people sensitive to seafood - I leave it out of this variation. Smoky andouille sausage, okra, and aromatic vegetables and herbs make this an authentic recipe perfect for anytime but especially at the end of our gardening season and as the temperatures begin to cool it’s always on the menu for me and my students.
In order to make a classic Gumbo you must understand the process of making a flavorful roux. Roux is a classic French technique used as a thickening agent in soups, stews, and sauces. The roux is a mixture of equal parts fat (animal or vegetable) and flour. There are different types of roux based on color as it cooks; white, blond, brown and dark brown. I used blond for this particular Gumbo. Don’t be timid about adding in your favorite vegetables or maybe some white wine – to make this recipe one of your most requested dishes. Here are the ingredients that worked for me.
Ingredients:
I whole chicken boiled, with your favorite herbs, cooked, picked and diced removing skin, bones and cartilage reserve the chicken broth to flavor the base of Gumbo.
2 quarts water and more for boiling chicken and thinning gumbo as needed
1 pound okra , we use whole frozen pods that are only about 2 inches long to prevent “slimy” texture of Gumbo
1/2 cup coconut oil flavored with garlic and butter or unsalted butter.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1cup of heavy cream to thicken roux and add richer texture and flavor.
1 1/2 cups yellow onion , large diced
1 1/2 cups bell pepper , sweet banana and other mild chilies diced
1/3 cup celery , sliced
2 lbs of sliced golden potatoes
1 can of whole sweet corn (fresh if you have it)
2 cloves garlic , minced
2 cups of tumbling tom tomato berries added last before serving
12 ounces Andouille sausage , cooked, sliced
1 bay leaf , dried and added to pot and removed before serving
1 teaspoon thyme , diced
1 teaspoon basil ,chopped roughly
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper , or chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon gumbo file’
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a 8 quart pot, add chicken whole chicken with salt, pepper, herbs and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring water to a boil, then simmer until fully cooked. Strain the water and reserve to add into roux. Remove the cooked chicken from the pot, and allow to cool. Once cooled, shred chicken into smaller pieces, remove skin, bones and cartilage and cover and set aside.
- In a roasting pan, add andouille sausage, onion, garlic, celery, potatoes and peppers drizzle and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast in oven or on grill to tender and slightly charred.
- In a large pot, combine ½ cup coconut oil flavored with garlic and butter and ½ cup flour. Cook over medium heat, frequently stirring with a whisk to make a dark brown roux, about 15 minutes. Make sure to stir the last 5 minutes of cooking consistently, so the roux does not burn.
- Add onion, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add bay leaf, thyme, basil, cayenne, pepper, and salt.
- Add 4 cups of the reserved strained water from the cooked chicken, mix well. You may add more water depending on how thick you want the gumbo.
- Add roasted vegetables, corn, and frozen whole pod okra. Add additional chicken stock as needed.
- Simmer over medium-low heat, for approximately 30 minutes with the pot loosely covered, stirring occasionally.
- Add cooked shredded chicken and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tbs of gumbo file to taste.
- Turn off the heat, and slowly stir in the file. At this stage I add in our tiny cherry tomatoes and stir in. Do not reboil after adding in the file as this tends to make the gumbo stringy. Taste gumbo and season with more salt or pepper as desired. Serve over steamed rice.
