Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups chicken thigh meat, skin removed, 1-inch pieces
1 cup onion, 1/4 inch dice
1 cup green bell pepper, 1/4 inch dice
3/4 cup celery, 1/4 inch dice
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil as needed (11/2 cups)
7 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups andouille smoked sausage or any other pure smoked pork sausage such as polish sausage, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
salt and black pepper to taste

  1. Combine the ingredients for the seasoning mixture. Divide in half.
  2. Toss the chicken with half the seasoning mixture and set aside for 30 minutes.
  3. Combine the onion, green pepper, and celery in a  bowl and set aside.
  4. Combine half the flour and the remaining seasoning mixture. Toss the chicken with the flour mixture until well coated.
  5. Heat 1 1/2 inches,oil ina  heavy skillet until very hot, 390F.
  6. Fry the chicken until crust is brown on all sides and meat is cooked. Drain on peper towels.
  7. Carefully pour the hot oil into a container, leaving as many of the browned particles in the pan as possible. Scrape the pan bottom to loosen any remaining particles.
  8. Return 1/4 cup hot oil to the pan over high heat. Gradually add the reserved flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is dark red-brown to black, 3-4 minutes, being careful not to scorch the roux.
  9. Remove pan from heat and immediately add the vegetables, stirring constantly until the roux stops getting darker. Return to low heat and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft, stirring constantly and scraping the pan bottom well.
  10. In a separate pot, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  11. Add the roux to the stock a little bit at a time, stirring until dissolved between each addition.
  12. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and add the sausage and garlic. Simmer, uncovered 30 minutes, stirring often as it begins to thicken.
  13. Add the fried chicken and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
  14. To serve as a main course, mound a portion of cooked rice in the center of a soup bowl; ladle about 1 1/4 cups gumbo around the rice. For an appetizer, place 1 heaping teaspoon of cooked rice in a cup and ladle about 3/4 cup gumbo on top.
Chef: the roux was not dark enough and became too thick; could have been less gummy if the roux was darker and there was less of it. The rice was soft, soaked up the broth; proteins cooked nicely.

Personal/team: there definitely was too much roux in the sauce and it wasn't dark enough. The flavors were nice, but hard to get through the texture.

Lesson Learned: since the vegetables were cooked in the roux, I was afraid it would burn while the vegetables were cooking, but it looks like I should have cooked it more anyway. Also, I should have trusted my instincts and added more liquid to the sauce.