October Bon Appetit- Chicken Andouille Gumbo

A week or so before Halloween, I came up with my meal plan. I would make Chicken-Andouille Gumbo from October's Bon Appetit, a perfect use for the chicken I got from Ham Sweet Farm's meat CSA last month. I would poach the chicken in the early morning, post-workout and pre-meetings, and I would finish the gumbo later in the day so the handsome hunk and I could enjoy steaming hot bowls of it while handing out candy.

Our new house! Complete with jack o lanterns.

Lo and behold, my plan worked. By 8am I'd poached an entire chicken and made the world's best stock. I'd made my second batch of Queen Ina's peanut butter and jelly bars in a week, which I would later divide into two batches- one for the neighborhood party and the other for the party we would have later in the night with close friends. I'd made the batter for Ina's outrageous brownies and the pan was ready, waiting for the vacant oven.

Both of those baked goods, by the way, are my new favorites. The brownies are SO rich and decadent and pair so well with morning coffee. Or a glass of milk. Or a salad.

I used both chicken and pork andouille sausage in the gumbo, and I was surprised at how much the sausage fought being sliced. Is this typical of andouille? I was practically yanking it apart.

The sausage was SPICY as heck. The method for poaching the chicken was foolproof, the meat was literally falling off the bone and it made shredding the chicken a snap. We needed a little more salt, but we definitely didn't need more hot sauce. Those Southerners must like things a little bit hot.

INGREDIENTS

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)

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.

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.