GUMBO

THE BASIS OF ALL GREAT gumbos is roux, a thickening agent created by heating equal parts flour and oil until—for gumbo, anyway—it is nutty and brown. You can make a delicious roux with butter or bacon fat, but for this dish I use a straight neutral oil such as canola or peanut, and quite a lot of it, for the big pot. Get the flour into the hot oil and stir until it reaches the hue you desire, which in my case is somewhat darker than café au lait. (The darker the roux, the more deeply flavored your gumbo, but the less thickening power it has. Seek moderation in all things.) You can make gumbos with chicken or duck, crabs, sausage, or shrimp. I’ve done well with doves and pheasant. What follows, though, is a family favorite, and one of my favorite things to spend the bulk of a weekend afternoon cooking: chicken and smoked sausage. Serve with rice, of course. The gumbo cures beautifully overnight and is easily reheated.

INGREDIENTS :

1 cup neutral oil, such as canola or peanut

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large Spanish onions, peeled and diced

1 large chicken, cut into a dozen pieces, or 12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 teaspoons celery salt

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of ground allspice

2 pounds smoked beef or pork sausage, sliced into thick coins

2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced

2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 to 3 quarts chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium

3 fresh thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Hot pepper sauce

INSTRUCTIONS :

1. Make the roux. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over high heat until it is shimmering. Whisk the flour into the hot oil, where it will immediately begin to sizzle. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to whisk until the roux has darkened to the color you like, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the onions and stir to combine. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the onions and roux have gone a shade darker again, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Season the chicken with the celery salt, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and allspice, and add the pieces to the pot. Raise the heat and cook, turning the chicken frequently, until it has browned, about 15 minutes.

3. Add half of the sausage to the pot and stir, then add the celery, bell peppers, tomato, and garlic, and stir again. After a minute or two, add the stock, along with the thyme and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cook for 45 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. If fat rises to the surface, skim it off.

4. Add the rest of the smoked sausage and the Worcestershire sauce to the gumbo, along with hot pepper sauce to taste, and continue to cook for a further 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme.

Serve immediately or, to greater effect, the next day, over white rice