Description
Hearty Cajun-style chicken and sausage stew combines spicy Louisiana flavors with rich, robust ingredients. Simmered slowly, this comforting dish brings regional culinary traditions directly to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (0.45 kg) chicken
- 12 oz (340 g) andouille sausage
- 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup okra, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup vegetable oil for roux
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp gumbo file powder
- Salt to taste
- Cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Seasoning Preparation: Lavishly coat chicken and sausage with potent Cajun spice blend, ensuring complete flavor coverage.
- Meat Searing: Ignite heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, strategically browning proteins until achieving deep golden crust, then carefully extract and reserve.
- Roux Development: Transform remaining oil and flour into rich mahogany-colored roux through continuous, precise whisking, preventing scorching while building complex flavor foundation.
- Vegetable Infusion: Introduce trinity of bell peppers, celery, and onions with minced garlic, sautéing until tender and releasing aromatic essence into developing roux.
- Liquid Integration: Gradually pour chicken broth, smoothly blending with vegetable-roux mixture, creating velvety, lump-free base for stew.
- Seasoning Symphony: Incorporate okra, black pepper, hot sauce, and gumbo file powder, stirring to distribute spices uniformly and enhance overall flavor profile.
- Protein Reunification: Gently reintroduce seared meats into simmering liquid, allowing proteins to absorb surrounding aromatics and develop depth.
- Simmering Transformation: Allow stew to leisurely simmer uncovered for approximately one hour, occasionally stirring to prevent bottom adhesion and promote flavor melding.
- Final Refinement: Taste and calibrate seasoning with salt, ensuring balanced and vibrant culinary experience.
- Serving Presentation: Ladle luxurious, fragrant stew over pristine white rice, creating quintessential Cajun-inspired comfort dish.
Notes
- Master Spice Coating: Generously rub Cajun seasoning into every meat surface for explosive flavor penetration.
- Roux Technique: Continuously whisk flour in oil, watching for rich mahogany color without burning to create authentic Cajun base.
- Vegetable Timing: Add bell peppers, celery, onions, and garlic precisely after roux development to unlock maximum flavor complexity.
- Simmering Secret: Low and slow cooking allows meats to tenderize and absorb surrounding spices, transforming simple ingredients into a robust, soulful dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg