Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Don't tell anybody, but I used regular smoked sausage instead of andouille. I'M SORRY BUT I'M OLD AND CAN'T EAT SPICY FOOD ANYMORE. Use whatever sausage you want to. It'll taste fine. Cajuns will judge you, but IT WILL TASTE FINE.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 quarts of water, to cook the chicken

1 lb okra, cut into 1-inch pieces, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 & 1/2 cup yellow onion, small dice

1 & 1/2 cup bell pepper, green or red or combo, small dice

1/3 cup celery, small dice

2 tsp minced garlic

2 cups diced canned tomatoes

12 oz andouille sausage, cooked, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 TB gumbo file

In a medium pot, add the chicken and cover it with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the temp to simmer until fully cooked, about 25 minutes. Strain the chicken broth and reserve it.

Cool the chicken, shred it into small pieces, and set aside.

In a medium pot, add the okra and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 9 minutes. Transfer to a colander, drain, and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, combine the butter and flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it forms a dark brown roux, about 15 minutes. A milk chocolate color is what you're looking for. 

This is the roux color you're looking for.

This is the burn that inevitably happens when making roux.

Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the pot. Sauté until the veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked okra, tomatoes, and sausage. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the bay leaf, thyme, basil, cayenne, salt, pepper, and stir in 4 cups of the reserved chicken broth. Loosely cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the gumbo thickens, about 30 minutes.

Add the shredded, cooked chicken and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and slowly stir in the gumbo file. Don't reboil it after adding the file or the texture will be weird and stringy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve over steamed rice.