This recipe is a cornerstone of comfort, featuring tender chicken, smoky sausage, and sweet shrimp nestled in a deeply complex gravy. The use of filé powder (ground sassafras leaves) adds a unique, earthy flavor and velvety thickening power that defines this style of gumbo. It’s a dish meant for sharing, a timeless tradition ladled steaming hot over a simple mound of rice on a quiet evening.
Yield: About 8 to 10 servings | Prep time: 45 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Standing time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
The Base & Roux
- 2/3 c. vegetable oil
- 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 fryer chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 lb., cut up
The Aromatics & Veggies
- 1 lb. Creole smoked sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 c. chopped onion
- 2/3 c. chopped green pepper
- 1/2 c. thinly sliced scallion tops
- 2 Tbs. finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 Tbs. finely minced garlic
Seafood & Finishers
- 2 lb. whole fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 1/2 to 3 Tbs. filé powder
Liquids & Seasonings
- 2 qt. cold water (divided)
- 3 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 3 whole bay leaves, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175°F. This will keep the chicken warm without continuing to cook it.
- Heat the oil in a heavy 7- to 8-quart pot or kettle over high heat.
- Brown the chicken parts thoroughly in the hot oil, turning them several times to ensure even color.
- Remove the browned chicken to a heated platter and place it, uncovered, in the preheated oven.
- Make the Roux: Gradually add the flour to the oil remaining in the pot, stirring constantly.
- Cook over low heat, stirring always, until you have formed a smooth, dark mahogany brown roux. This is a crucial step and requires patience.
- Immediately when the roux reaches the desired color, quickly add the sliced sausage, onion, green pepper, shallot tops, parsley, and garlic.
- Sauté over low heat for 10 minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
- Combine: Add 1/4 cup of the water, the reserved browned chicken parts, and all of the seasonings (salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, and bay leaves). Do not add the filé powder yet.
- Mix gently but thoroughly.
- Simmer: Keeping the heat low, gradually stir in the rest of the water.
- Bring the gumbo to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the heat back to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is quite tender.
- Add the shrimp to the gumbo and cook for about 8 minutes longer, or just until the shrimp are opaque and pink.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow the simmer to die down completely.
- Finish: Add the filé powder and stir until incorporated.
- Stand: Let the finished gumbo stand undisturbed in the pot for 5 minutes after adding the filé, allowing the flavors to marry and the texture to thicken slightly.
- Serve generously over steaming mounds of boiled rice.
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Classic Creole Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo with Filé
Learn how to make an authentic Creole Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo. This slow-cooked Louisiana classic features a complex dark roux and earthy filé powder.
Ingredients
The Base & Roux
The Aromatics & Veggies
Seafood & Finishers
Liquids & Seasonings
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 175°F. This will keep the chicken warm without continuing to cook it.
-
Heat the oil in a heavy 7- to 8-quart pot or kettle over high heat.
-
Brown the chicken parts thoroughly in the hot oil, turning them several times to ensure even color.
-
Remove the browned chicken to a heated platter and place it, uncovered, in the preheated oven.
-
Make the Roux: Gradually add the flour to the oil remaining in the pot, stirring constantly.
-
Cook over low heat, stirring always, until you have formed a smooth, dark mahogany brown roux. This is a crucial step and requires patience.
-
Immediately when the roux reaches the desired color, quickly add the sliced sausage, onion, green pepper, shallot tops, parsley, and garlic.
-
Sauté over low heat for 10 minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
-
Combine: Add 1/4 cup of the water, the reserved browned chicken parts, and all of the seasonings (salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, and bay leaves). Do not add the filé powder yet.
-
Mix gently but thoroughly.
-
Simmer: Keeping the heat low, gradually stir in the rest of the water.
-
Bring the gumbo to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
-
Lower the heat back to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is quite tender.
-
Add the shrimp to the gumbo and cook for about 8 minutes longer, or just until the shrimp are opaque and pink.
-
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the simmer to die down completely.
-
Finish: Add the filé powder and stir until incorporated.
-
Stand: Let the finished gumbo stand undisturbed in the pot for 5 minutes after adding the filé, allowing the flavors to marry and the texture to thicken slightly.
-
Serve generously over steaming mounds of boiled rice.
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