Earlier this week, I told you that I made chicken and sausage etouffee, and what an accomplishment it was for me. It wasn’t easy to make – I had to stir a roux for 20+ minutes. I am not a patient person, and this was waaaayyy too long to be stirring anything.

That being said, sometimes putting the extra love and effort into something is worth it. My husband asked me twice to make this, and I didn’t realize how long it would take. But if you like etouffee, you know it’s good etouffee is hard to come by – if you follow this recipe, you’ll be happy with the results. Trust me.

So here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients

3/4 cup canola oil (no canola oil? Use whatever oil you have, but canola oil is recommended)
3/4 cup flour
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried basil or several fresh basil leaves finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 cups chicken stock
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces (I used chicken breasts)
1 lb. andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick pieces
6 large scallions thinly sliced
Cooked white rice

Directions

Heat oil in a 6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Add flour, whisking constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until roux is the color of milk chocolate, about 12–15 minutes.

Add celery, onions, and peppers, and cook, stirring constantly, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, cayenne, black pepper, basil, and thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add 2 cups chicken stock, and bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, 4–6 minutes; transfer chicken and butter to Dutch oven. Pour remaining chicken stock into skillet, stir to scrape up any browned bits, and then pour into Dutch oven along with andouille; cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Remove pan from heat, stir in scallions, and serve étouffée with riceThis

This recipe makes 8 servings. You can half it and it works just fine. I have no idea where Jason found this recipe, but it is worth every minute of roux stirring!