- 4 Cajun style andouille sausages
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup peanut oil
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 onions
- 2 green bell peppers
- 4 sticks celery
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 fresh bay leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano
- 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp Sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp Cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp allspice
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 3+ tbsp Cajun seasoning
- Cajun hot sauce
- 2 L chicken stock
- Salt & pepper
The important thing is to get all the prep done first since once your roux starts to brown and thicken you need to be ready to go.
Chop the onion, pepper, celery and garlic into a fine dice and put in the fridge. Chop the fresh herbs and set aside. Slice the sausages into rounds. Chop the chicken thighs into a rough 1” dice, toss with a few tablespoons of hot sauce and Cajun seasoning and let marinade for an hour.
In a skillet, brown the sausage, and then the chicken in batches and then set aside along with any cooking juices.
In a large 7 quart Dutch oven, add the two oils and stir in the flour. Continuously whisking, bring up to a rolling simmer. Do not stop whisking, if it sticks or burns, you’re done. Gradually cook the roux, over a medium heat for 20-30 minutes, keep it moving, browning and thickening. After 30 mins, gradually tweak up the heat, it will start to color and thicken much more rapidly, and the oil will smoke a little. Keep stirring as if your life depends on it. Back the heat off if needed, but it may go quick. Have the cold diced vegetables on hand. Once you get o a thick peanut butter like texture and color, reduce the heat and add the veg. Stir vigorously, it will sizzle a lot. Start adding stock and stirring it in, the mixture will seize pretty quickly at first, keep adding stock and beating it around to get it smooth. Add the chicken and sausage, and start seasoning. Keep adding stock until you get to the consistency you want, like a nice thick soup or stew. Stir in the herbs, bring to a good simmer. Add the chopped shrimp and simmer for 20-30 minutes until everything is cooked through. (If you use whole shrimp, add them towards the end, so they don’t over cook.) Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.