Taylor had been asking for gumbo for a few weeks, so I finally gave in and made a big pot loaded with rotisserie chicken, shrimp, hot links, and okra. I thought using rotisserie chicken would make the process much quicker, but honestly, gumbo still asks for a little time and patience. The biggest commitment is the roux, and mine took about 45 minutes over medium-low heat to reach that deep caramel color that gives gumbo its rich flavor.
Using rotisserie chicken did save me some prep work though. I didn’t have to season, cook, or shred chicken from scratch, and I also got the bonus of using the bones and skin to build a homemade chicken stock.
For the stock, I simmered the rotisserie chicken carcass, shrimp shells, a large onion, water, and chicken stock together for about 30 minutes. It added so much extra flavor and made the gumbo taste like it had been cooking all day. If you want to save time, store-bought chicken stock works perfectly fine too, but if you have the scraps sitting there anyway, it is worth the extra step.
I also like handling the okra in two stages. I cook half of it earlier in the process so it helps naturally thicken the gumbo, then I add the rest toward the end so there is still some texture left in the final dish. It gives the gumbo a better balance instead of having all the okra cooked down completely.
Every time I make gumbo, it takes me right back to my trip to New Orleans a few years ago where I ordered gumbo everywhere I went. Every bowl was a little different, but every single one was comforting, rich, and full of flavor. That is what I love most about gumbo. There is no single right way to make it. It just takes patience, a good roux, and people you want to share it with.
Ingredients:
2 quarts chicken stock
|½ cup cooking oil
½ cup flour
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 pound shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 pound frozen okra
12 ounces hot links or Andouille sausage, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 16-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon sage
2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Parsley
Chicken Stock Ingredients:
1.5 quarts water
1-quart chicken stock
Rotisserie Chicken Bones and Skin
Shrimp shells
1 large Onion
Salt
Steps:
Make Roux – In a large pot, heat the cooking oil over medium-low heat. Slowly whisk in the flour to make the roux. Continue stirring constantly for about 45 minutes until the roux turns a dark chocolate color.
Cook Sausage and Veggies – While making the roux, in a separate skillet, cook the hot links or andouille sausage over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes to lightly brown the sausage. Remove the sausage and set aside. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery to the skillet. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the minced garlic during the last minute of cooking.
Make Gumbo – Once the roux is ready, add the cooked veggies and sausage to the pot and stir to combine. Add half of the okra and cook for 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirring well, making sure to scrape up anything from the bottom of the pot. Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, basil, sage, salt, black pepper, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring the gumbo to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the flavors can come together. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and remaining okra. Continue simmering for another 15 minutes. Add the shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking and cook just until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Tips:
- Be patient and do not walk away while making the roux because it can burn quickly.
- Adding half of the okra in the beginning helps thicken the gumbo, while adding the remaining okra near the end helps preserve the okra’s color and texture.
- I like cooking the veggies and sausage while the roux is developing so everything is ready to go once the roux reaches the right color. It helps speed up the cooking process.
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