The weather has finally cooled down here in LA to a brisk 75 degrees and I took full advantage to cook one of my favorite fall dishes, chicken and sausage gumbo!
This gumbo is adapted from Little Spice Jar and is basically the same except I used a whole shredded rotisserie chicken instead of shrimp and probably doubled the amount of seasoning.
Fair warning, this gumbo is not a 100% classic New Orleans style gumbo. There’s no seafood or okra, but it DOES have a ton of spice and flavor.
How to Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
To start off making chicken and sausage gumbo, you have to make a roux. Roux is a thickening agent that is comprised of equal parts flour and fat (canola oil). Not only does it help thicken the stew, but it also adds a ton of flavor.
There are different stages to a roux, but for a gumbo, we want the roux to be extremely dark in color to add complexity and flavor. The most important rule of making a roux is to stir CONSTANTLY so that it doesn’t burn. If it does you have to start again.
Combine flour and oil in a dutch oven and whisk to combine. Stage 1 of a roux is called a white roux.
Stage 2 is called a blonde roux. This stage is good for use in thickening lighter soups, but since we want a big bold flavored gumbo, we march (stir) on.
Stage 3 is called a brown roux. At this point it will smell super nutty and look and feel like peanut butter. You can stop here if you want, but if you can, keep going. This step is great for use in gravy!
Stage 4. A black roux. The final showdown. Be careful because while it may have taken you 40 minutes to get to this point of constantly stirring and you arms hurts and you’re ready to be done, it takes 5 seconds from black roux to ruined.
Once you’ve hit a black roux, immediately add the chopped veggies and cook down until soft. Add seasoning to your liking.
Add the cooked meat and garlic and stir till fragrant.
Next, add the chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 15 minutes and up to a few hours for a more complex flavor.
Food and Wine Pairing
To round out this meal, I paired the chicken and sausage gumbo with brown rice and a Zinfandel from J Dusi Vineyards in Paso Robles. What I love about Zinfandel is that it’s a very bold red wine and known for having some spice and kick to it.
Because the gumbo is also spicy, you need to make sure to pick a wine that can hold it’s ground against it and this one certainly could. Filled with dark fruits, black currant, and earthy undertones, it was a perfect pair.
You can find the full recipe for the gumbo here!
