Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Method

1. Once the roux starts you cannot walk away, so prep everything first. Dice the onion, green pepper and celery (the 'holy trinity') into 1 cm pieces and put them together in one bowl; mince the garlic. Slice the sausage into 1 cm rounds. Cut the chicken into 3 cm chunks and toss it with the salt, cayenne and paprika.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 300 gSalt ½ tspCayenne pepper 1 pinchPaprika 1 tsp

2. Heat a little of the oil in a heavy 22 cm pot over medium-high heat and brown the sausage for 4 min, then lift it out. Add the chicken to the same pot and brown it for 5 min, then lift it out too. It will finish cooking later in the stew.

   Add in this stepSmoked sausage (andouille if you can find it) 150 gVegetable oil 10 ml

   medium-high heat

3. Pour the rest of the oil into the pot, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Over medium heat, stir constantly with a flat-ended wooden spoon, covering the whole bottom of the pot, for 20 min, until the roux passes peanut-butter colour and reaches milk-chocolate brown and smells nutty. If it starts to smoke, lower the heat slightly. Roux gets close to 200 °C and sticks to skin, causing serious burns, so avoid splashes and never leave it. If you see black specks or smell burning, it will taste bitter: start again.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 40 mlPlain flour 50 g

   medium heat

4. Immediately tip in all the chopped vegetables and stir; the cold vegetables cool the roux and stop it from burning (a burst of steam will rise, so keep your face back). Cook over medium heat for 6 min until softened, adding the garlic for the last minute.

   Add in this stepOnion 1Green bell pepper ½Celery stalks 1Garlic cloves 2

   medium heat

5. Add the warm stock a ladle at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition; pouring it all in at once makes lumps. Add the bay leaves, thyme, sausage and chicken, bring to the boil over high heat, then lower to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered for 50 min. Stir to the bottom now and then and skim off any fat that rises. It is ready when the gumbo has thickened and the chicken is tender.

   Add in this stepChicken stock, warmed 750 mlBay leaves 1Dried thyme ½ tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

6. While the gumbo simmers, cook the rice. Put the rinsed rice and its water in a 16 cm pot, bring to the boil on high, then cover, turn down to low heat and cook for 15 min. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. A rice cooker works too.

   Add in this stepLong-grain rice 120 gWater for the rice 200 ml

   low heat

7. Remove the bay leaves and season with black pepper and hot sauce, adding a little more salt if needed. Put a scoop of rice in each wide bowl, ladle plenty of gumbo around it and finish with spring onions and parsley.

   Add in this stepBlack pepper to tasteHot sauce to tasteSpring onions, sliced 1Chopped parsley 1 tbsp