Fried Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

serves 10 to 12

Where I grew up in Louisiana, there were only two kinds of gumbo: chicken and sausage, and
seafood. I love both, of course, but this recipe in particular holds a special place because it’s
similar to my granny’s. Unabashedly rustic, this gumbo has chicken bones and skin in the pot, two
ingredients essential for depth and flavor (trust me on this, I’ve tried leaving them out). Frying the
chicken first seasons the oil for making the roux, adding another layer of flavor.
The choice of sausage is important because the gumbo takes on its character. I use spicy
andouille sausage or another smoked sausage as long as it isn’t overly smoky. You can use any
sausage that you like, but you’ll want to adjust the seasonings accordingly (be sure to taste it
before adding it to your gumbo).

1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and

finely chopped
Chicken seasoning 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon paprika
1 medium onion, cut into small dice 1½ teaspoons filé powder
3 celery stalks, cut into small dice 3 quarts chicken broth
1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and cut 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into
into small dice ½-inch half-moons
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut 3 cups sliced (½-inch slices) okra
into small dice (about 1 pound)

Cut the chicken into eight pieces with the skin on. Cut the breast meat from the
bones and chop into 2-inch pieces. Lay the chicken on a plate or sheet pan and season
evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Dust with flour and shake off excess.
Heat 1¼ cups of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 350°F over medium-high
heat (a pinch of flour should sizzle in the oil when it’s ready). Fry the chicken in
batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, about 3 minutes on each side, until light
golden (the chicken does not need to cook all the way through; it just needs to color).
Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels.

114 real ca jun

 Add the flour to the oil and stir gently with a whisk, preferably one with a long
handle (see Note). Leave the heat on medium-high for the first 10 minutes. As the
roux starts to darken, lower the heat in increments. When the roux reaches a light
brown color, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until it takes on a smooth
dark brown color, about 40 minutes total.
Carefully and slowly stir the onion, celery, peppers, garlic, salt, black pepper,
cayenne, chili powder, white pepper, paprika, and filé powder into the roux and stir
with a wooden spoon. (Don’t use the whisk because the roux will be very thick at
this point.) Be careful when adding the vegetables to the roux because it will create
a burst of steam. Allow the roux to cool briefly.
Transfer the roux to a large soup pot. Heat the roux over medium-high heat, stir
in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Whisk the stock frequently as it comes to a
boil because roux can stick to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer
for about 30 minutes. Every now and then skim off the oil that rises to the surface;
a good bit will float to the top as the soup cooks.
Add the chicken and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
Add the sausage and simmer very slowly for about 1 more hour, skimming all the
while, until the chicken falls away from the bones. Taste the stock. If it still has a
strong roux flavor, add a few more cups of stock or water.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the okra and sauté, stirring or flipping the okra in the skillet, for about
8 minutes until it’s lightly browned and the gooey slime has cooked out. Add the
okra to the gumbo and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
The gumbo is finished when there is no more oil rising to the top. As with all
soups and stews, gumbo is always better the second day, so you’ll be happy to have
plenty of leftovers.

Note: Although you can stir the roux with a metal spoon, I highly discourage it. A
spoon collects liquid and makes it easier to splash out of the pan and burn you. By
contrast, a whisk allows the roux to pass through it and reduces the possibility of
splashing, as well as getting into the sides of the pan. It’s important that you whisk
the entire bottom of the pan when cooking roux; if you miss a spot the flour can
stick and burn, which will give the entire pot an acrid flavor. Remember to stir
slowly—roux has been called “Cajun napalm” because, if it gets on your skin, it
sticks and burns. Roux will catch on fire if left unattended!!!

family gatherings 115

166 REAL CA JUN
Cast-Iron Hush
Puppies
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH

When I was attending Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge there was (and still is) a restau-
rant on campus called The Chimes, where you could get a bowl of shrimp and corn soup with a
side of hush puppies for about five dollars, which left us enough money to get a pitcher of beer.
For a poor college student, that’s a pretty good deal. They were the best I’d tasted—until these.
The addition of pureed “green” flavors like jalapeños, scallions, and parsley adds a fresh, bright
taste and gives them a cool color, too.

½ small onion, chopped 1 tablespoon sugar

1 small jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, 2½ teaspoons baking powder
and chopped ½ teaspoon salt
1 bunch scallions (green and white parts), 1 teaspoon dried thyme
thinly sliced ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley ¾ cup whole milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 egg
½ cup all-purpose flour Vegetable oil, for frying

Combine the onion, jalapeño, scallions, and parsley in a food processor or blender
and pulse to a rough puree.
Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, thyme, and
cayenne in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Add the vegetable puree and
stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until com-
bined. For the best results, refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes before frying.
Heat 3 inches of oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot (preferably cast-iron) over high
heat until it reaches 350°F.
Working in batches of six, carefully add the batter to the hot oil 1 heaping
tablespoon at a time; use another spoon to scrape it off, keeping it in a ball shape.
Fry, turning, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to
paper towels to drain briefly. Transfer the hush puppies to a shallow baking pan and
keep hot in a 200°F oven while frying remaining batter (bring the oil back to 350°F
in between batches).

ALL THE FIXIN’S 167

Excerpted from Real Cajun by Donald Link.
Copyright ©2009 by Donald Link. Excerpted by
permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of
Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part
of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted
without permission in writing from the publisher.