cajun – The Louisville Chef

Gumbo can be made so many different ways and books have been written about the different combinations. However, this is one of my favorite versions as it is smoky and dark. The flavor needs time to develop, so don’t try and rush it. The slower it cooks the better it will be.

A pot filled with a smoky, dark gumbo featuring chunks of sausage, chicken, and various vegetables, simmering on a stove.

The key to a great gumbo is the roux. Making a good roux is easy, if you follow the steps exactly and again don’t rush. Check back to the previous post on making a roux.

Always serve with freshly steamed white rice. I like to medium grain, as it gets nice and sticky. It seems to hold up better with gumbos and jambalayas.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of Vegetable Oil

3/4 cup of All Purpose Flour

2 large Onions, chopped

1 large Green Pepper, chopped

1 cup of Celery, chopped with the leaves included

1 lb. of Andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces.

1 lb. Chicken, boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch cubes.

6 cups of hot Water or broth

1 Tbsp Salt, or to taste.

½ tsp. Cayenne pepper

3 Bay leaves

1 tsp. Thyme, or 3-4 sprigs of fresh Thyme

Lots of freshly ground Black Pepper

1 cup finely chopped Green Onions

1 Tbsp File Powder

Preparation:

Make a medium or dark roux, then add all the vegetables and spices and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. When the smell starts to fill the kitchen it’s ready.

Then add the sausage, and cook for another 5 minutes. Now add the hot water and bring it to a boil and then turn it down to medium low for 30 minutes.

Add the chicken and bring it back to a gentle boil and cook for an additional 1-3 hours. When the fat comes to the surface skim it off, otherwise your gumbo will be greasy.

Here’s a simple trick. Use a paper towel folded in half and then again and gently lay it on the surface and let it absorb the excess oil. Use tongs to take it out. Do as often as needed.

When you’re ready to serve it, take it off the heat and add the file powder and green onions. Let it sit for a few minutes and rest, then spoon into bowls on top of your white rice.

A roux is the fundamental base for many Continental classic sauces and is essential in Cajun and Creole cooking. It is a wonderful way to thicken a sauce and is easy to make. The one key to a roux is that the flour must be cooked long enough for the flour to lose its raw taste.

There are four basic types of roux:

White- Only for the most delicate sauces, primarily used in French or Italian cuisine.

Light Brown- For delicate dishes like soups (bisques), or as an addition to a sauce.

Medium – For most poultry and seafood dishes. It’s the color of light milk chocolate.

Dark – For smoky dark gumbos for wild game, turkey or really any meat if you like that smoky flavor. It’s the color of dark chocolate.

Close-up of a freshly made white roux in a pot, stirred with a wooden spoon, with a smooth, creamy texture.

This is just when you start cooking the roux. This would be considered a white roux. If you look below, you will see a light roux and below that a medium roux and then the final dark roux.

A pot containing a light-colored roux with a wooden spoon stirring it, showing a smooth, bubbling mixture.

A thick, brown roux simmering in a pot with a wooden spoon resting inside, ready to be used for flavorful sauces.

A close-up view of a pot containing a smooth, dark brown roux, with a wooden spoon resting on the side.

Ingredients:

1 cup of vegetable oil or butter, but not olive oil.

1 cup of flour, all purpose

Note: If you don’t need this much roux, just use less ingredients, but keep the equal parts ratio.

Preparation:

In a heavy sauce pan or Dutch oven and turn the heat onto medium. Let it heat for a few minutes and then add the oil and allow it to heat for a few more minutes. This is my trick to allow the oil to heat first, as I find that this can allow you to make a perfect dark roux in as little as 30 to 45 minutes. If you are using butter, skip this step as the butter has a tendency to burn.

Now add the flour and stir with a figure eight motion for as long as you need, to reach the darkness of the roux you need. I like to use a wooden spoon to make my roux, and the only key at this point is don’t stop stirring or it will burn.

If the mixture is cooking too fast and starting to burn, turn down the heat. Roux will burn in an instant, and once burned is not salvageable.

Tag: cajun

Cajun Gumbo

How to make a Roux