Simien Family Creole Gumbo Recipe – Chicken & Sausage – add Gulf Shrimp*!
NOTE: the word gumbo is African in origin.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp Olive oil
8 Organic chicken thighs – skinless, boneless or w/ skin & bone, which will need be removed before serving
2 lbs lbs large Gulf shrimp peeled, deveined and butterflied
2 lbs Smoked sausage, preferably andouille sausage, cut into ½ inch slices
Andouille ( ahn- dewey ) is pork based smoked sausage
1 lb Smoked turkey or pork tasso,( a lean and boneless seasoning meat )
Seasonings: Sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning Mix (or similar). Note: fresh garlic can be used in addition to or in place of the powdered garlic.
8 Cups of water and/or mix of organic low sodium chicken stock & water
1-2 2 containers organic chicken stock low sodium (optional)
1 Large sweet onion coarsely chopped
2 Bunches organic green onions, rinsed and chopped saving only the greenest parts
½ Bunch organic parsley, rinsed and chopped
1 Jar Kary’s dry roux or other roux prepared from scratch – we cheat because we can! Not everyone has quick access to dry roux like we do in Louisiana and Texas.
2 (2 lb ) bag of white rice of choice; jasmine, long grain or some prefer brown rice
1-2 lbs mustard and egg style potato salad from the deli
Shopping notes: We have prepared this recipe all over the world and have had to source the specialty meats locally to substitute for the andouille and tasso. We have made some creative substitutions with local smoked sausages, ham hocks, smoked turkey necks, wings or drumsticks. Any smoked meats will do and people also get very creative with locally sourced seafood; shrimp, crabs, etc which can all be used!
Preparation: In a large bowl, cover chicken thighs with liberal amounts of all of the seasonings. In a large 8 -quart stockpot, on medium temperature heat olive oil, add chicken thighs and brown. Add chopped sweet onion and continue cooking on medium heat until onions are soft. Cover and add water as needed to prevent chicken from sticking and to begin building the base for your broth – or the “juice” as Simien men call it! Add all sausage and seasoning meats. Toss into the chicken thighs and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently while gradually adding water 2 cups at a time to build your broth until the stock pot is ¾ full. Simmer over medium low heat for at least 15 minutes, tasting as you go and adjusting spices/salt as needed. Slowing begin to get your stock to boiling to prepare for the magic ingredient – the roux. Once boiling, add roux. You may need to adjust the amount of dry roux or use additional prepared roux – to create a thicker gumbo if preferred. Simmer on medium-low 45 minutes. Add green onion tops and parsley in the last 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove from burner add shrimp, Cover. Let rest for 20 minutes. These portions are meant for a large batch to feed your immediate circle of 5-7, with leftovers. You can also trim down ingredients to serve fewer people. If you freeze the leftovers, remove all shrimp- as it looses texture after it’s been cooked. You can always add in more fresh shrimp later.
*So, traditionally in LA there are two schools of gumbo – one is a straight up seafood gumbo and the other is a meat gumbo. Some believe that the two should never meet in the gumbo pot. However, you will find more shrimp and sausage gumbo from Louisiana chefs, so why not chicken too?! Also, shrimp was often a luxury for some the everyday gumbo of chicken and sausage was just more affordable.
Prepare your rice as directed on package. Serve gumbo in large bowls with rice on the side so your guests can adjust the rice they add to the gumbo as per their preference. For an unexpected and unique flavor profile, add a scoop of potato salad directly on top of the gumbo w/rice. You didn’t see that comin, did you?! This is a contribution from the German’s in Louisiana who also gave us the accordion for zydeco. Bon appétit!