Andouille, Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo

Here's a beauty of a dish to serve to a crowd. This might look like a lot of work, but it really goes together easily. This gumbo is rich and deeply flavored owing to that beautiful roux. This is just mildly spicy, so feel free to ramp up the creole seasoning or add some cayenne if you wish. 

Ingredients (serves 8):

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 pound fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced into coins

1 ½ cups dry white wine, divided

½ cup canola oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with the juice

3-4 cups vegetable broth

2-4 teaspoons creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s®)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon file gumbo (in the spice aisle of the supermarket)

1 bay leaf

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooked white rice for serving

Fresh parsley and sliced green onions for garnish

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil on medium heat in a large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot.

Season the chicken thighs with a little salt and cook in the oil until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done throughout. Remove the chicken from the oven, dice it into one inch chunks and set aside. PS-you can turn off the oven now—you won’t need it anymore.

Add a splash of wine to the Dutch oven and scrape up all the brown bits. Add the sliced andouille sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are brown. Remove the sausage to a plate and add another splash of wine and again scrape up any brown bits.

Add the ½ cup of canola oil to the pot and then slowly whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly until this roux gets just a bit more tan than peanut butter (about 10 minutes).

Toss the onion, celery and green pepper into the pot and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Note: the roux will become darker during this stage.

Add in the garlic and just stir for a minute. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, creole seasoning, file gumbo, remaining wine and bay leaf.

Return the chopped chicken and sausage to the pot and bring to a boil. The mixture should thicken nicely at this point.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for one hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Stir in the shrimp and cook just a few more minutes, or until the shrimp is opaque. Ladle into bowls over scoops of white rice and garnish.