Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

By Paul Prudhomme

Updated November 24, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
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Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
5(2,882)
Comments
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This recipe came to The Times in 1983 from the influential New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. It is a hearty, rich Creole stew generously seasoned with black and white pepper, cayenne, paprika and filé powder, a spice made from the leaves of the sassafras tree. Filé powder is readily available in most grocery stores and online, and while it's not 100 percent necessary, it lends a distinctive, earthy quality to the dish. Mr. Prudhomme intended this to be made with chicken, but we've had excellent results using leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, too.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 or more servings

  • 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces

  • Salt to taste if desired

  • 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons finely ground white pepper

  • 1 teaspoon powdered mustard

  • 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika

  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

  • 1 teaspoon file powder, optional

  • 1 ½ cups flour

  • 2 ½ cups corn, peanut or vegetable oil

  • ¾ cup finely chopped onion

  • ¾ cup finely chopped celery

  • ¾ cup finely chopped green pepper

  • 9 cups chicken broth

  • 1 ¾ cups chopped or thinly sliced smoked sausage such as andouille or kielbasa

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic

  • 2 cups cooked rice

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

57 grams carbs; 221 milligrams cholesterol; 1793 calories; 88 grams monosaturated fat; 26 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 144 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 3 grams fiber; 2099 milligrams sodium; 66 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put chicken pieces in a bowl. Blend salt, peppers, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika, granulated garlic and file powder. Rub four teaspoons of the mixture over the chicken. Set rest of spice mixture aside.

  2. Step 2

    Put the flour in a bowl and add two teaspoons of the reserved spice mixture. Blend well.

  3. Step 3

    Heat a 10-inch skillet and add the oil. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture to coat well, shaking off excess. Reserve the leftover flour.

  4. Step 4

    When the oil is hot and almost smoking, add the chicken pieces skin side down. Cook about two minutes on one side until golden brown. Turn and cook about three minutes on the second side until nicely browned. Do this in batches so as to not crowd the pan. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.

  5. Step 5

    Pour off all but one cup of fat from the skillet. Heat this oil over high heat until it is almost smoking and add the reserved seasoned flour. Stir rapidly and constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture is golden brown. Do not burn. This is a roux.

  6. Step 6

    Add the chopped onion, celery and green pepper to the roux and stir to blend well. Remove from the heat.

  7. Step 7

    Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan.

  8. Step 8

    Add about half a cup of the roux mixture to the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Continue adding the roux mixture, half a cup at a time, always stirring rapidly and constantly.

  9. Step 9

    Add the smoked sausage and stir. Cook over high heat, stirring often from the bottom, about 15 minutes.

  10. Step 10

    Add the chicken pieces, bay leaf and finely minced fresh garlic. Cook about 40 minutes, on medium-low, stirring occasionally.

  11. Step 11

    Remove the chicken pieces. Cut the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Cut the chicken into cubes or shred it and add it back to the pot. Serve with white rice or potato salad (or both) spooned into the gumbo.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,882 user ratings
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Comments

Matt

A roux trick from John Besh: Get your oil quite hot, almost to the smoke point, and then toss in the flower and stir like crazy. You will get a milk chocolate colored roux in about 7-10 minutes of constant, thorough stirring or whisking, then toss in the onions, which will cool the roux so it's no longer in danger of burning, and as they sweat and release their sugars, the sugars will caramelize and turn the roux a dark mahogany color with a glossy sheen. Add the other aromatics and proceed.

Cancer

Plese do not cook file. You don't cook File. Period! Google it.

Edward

Bones add flavour and gelatine and help prevent overcooking. They are easy to remove once the meat is cooked.

Alexis

Made this as it was written except I added in shrimp to boil the last 10 min. My family loved this meal. Definitely will be keeping in my rotation.

Harry

2 1/2 Cups of oil is too much! 1/4 C is typically used.

John M.

For a history lesson, watch Paul make this in an apparent PBS broadcast recorded on a VCR. While this recipe is very "grounded", the video will show you how "loosely" he cooks. I just made this and did not make a black roux for 2 reasons. 1. fear of burning it. 2. I wanted mine to have more thickening power. Tip: skip the file powder. In the video, there's no mention of it. Also, okra is not mentioned in his jambalaya either.

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