One Great Gumbo for Game Day
By Lucy Madison and Jay Ducote
Sunday night football is best observed while eating copious amounts of Southern food. But you don’t have to go tailgating in order to get your hands on a great pre-game meal; a batch of this Chicken-Andouille Gumbo—with its rich, balanced liquid and plenty of tender poached chicken meat—will satisfy your hunger and make you feel like you’re watching the big game from somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Stock
1 3½–4-lb. chicken
1 large onion, peeled, quartered
2 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Gumbo
½ cup vegetable oil
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced ¼” thick
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
Cooked white rice and sliced scallions (for serving)
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Stock
Bring chicken, onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns, basil, oregano, and 12 cups water to a boil in a large stockpot. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer, skimming surface as needed, until meat is falling off the bone, about 1 hour.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, then remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot (or airtight container if not using right away); discard solids. You should have about 12 cups.
Do Ahead: Stock can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill, or freeze up to 3 months. Let meat cool; tightly wrap and chill.
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Gumbo
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate.
Whisk flour into oil in pot and cook, whisking constantly, until roux is the color of a brown paper bag and smells nutty, about 4 minutes.
Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to roux; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add stock, chicken, sausage, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is slightly thickened and vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.
Add hot sauce to gumbo, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 30 minutes to let flavors meld; discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Serve gumbo over rice topped with scallions.
Do Ahead: Gumbo can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
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photo: Cedric Angeles
