Carnival, that celebratory time for feasting and frivolity, always begins in New Orleans on January 6th—otherwise known as Twelfth Night—and the season culminates this year on Tuesday, February 13.
These festivities, coupled with wintry weather, call for a pot of some hearty, soul-stirring gumbo.
Adam Lathan, founder and executive chef of The Gumbo Bros, grew up immersed in Cajun culture. As an adult living in New York, he missed it terribly, so he and his pal Clay Boulware decided to bring the bona fide flavors of the cuisine to the Big Apple. In 2014, the duo launched The Gumbo Bros as a pop-up in Madison Square Park. Two years later, The Bros went bricks-and-mortar in Brooklyn, and in 2021, they came to Nashville to open a second joint in The Gulch.
An LSU alum, Lathan learned the proper technique for gumbo from his great- grandmother, Nanny. It’s all about the roux, tended with love over low heat until it becomes a glossy dark brown. All that follows: the Cajun trinity (onions, bell peppers, and celery) the chicken and smoky andouille sausage, the okra and spices, comes together easy as The Big Easy, once you’ve got that foundation. (thegumbobros.com)
The Gumbo Bros’ Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Courtesy of chef Adam Lathan (Serves four)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1⁄2 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1⁄2 cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup chopped okra
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 finely chopped fresh sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s)
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup chopped browned
- Andouille sausage
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Steamed White Rice (about 2 cups cooked)
- Chopped Green Onions, for garnish
Directions:
- In a large (4quart )pot placed over low heat, stir the flour and oil together until it becomes a roux with the color of dark chocolate. This can take up to 45 minutes. Don’t turn your back on it. Stir often.
- Stir the chopped onions, bell peppers, and celery into the roux, cooking until softened—about 5 minutes.
- Add herbs and spices: bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning blend.
- Add the chopped okra and continue to stir until the okra seeds pop out of the pods and the mixture becomes very thick—about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken, andouille sausage, and chicken stock. Stir until all of the ingredients become well incorporated. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, remove the bay leaves.
- Ladle the gumbo into bowls and cap with steamed white rice and chopped green onions.