Chicken, Andouille Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo

I consider myself quite lucky that my hubby was born in New Orleans and still has family that lives in Louisiana.   My mother-in-law grew up in Louisiana and still cooks amazingly delicious dishes from the region.  This recipe is loosely based on the gumbo recipe their family often uses and it is awesome! If you've never had andouille sausage, a word of warning it is SPICY.  If you are sensitive to the spicy you might want to sub in smoked sausage.  I was intimidated and a bit scared to try this recipe as it does take time and it might seem difficult but don't let the steps scare you - it's pretty easy! From start to finish however, it does take about an hour and a half.

Without further ado, here's the recipe with a few step-by-step pictures.

Chicken, Andouille Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs bone-in skin on chicken breast (alternatively you can use 2 lbs boneless, skinless or rotisserie chicken to cut down on time)
10 cups water
1 lb Andouille Sausage sliced then quartered
1 large onion chopped
1 bunch green onion, white and green parts chopped
1 large green bell pepper chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cajun seasoning such as Tony Chachares
About 1 tsp ground black pepper
1 box Zatarains gumbo base (see picture)
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off
Hot cooked white rice for serving

Directions:

Place chicken in stock pot and boil until done about 25-30 minutes for skin on, bone-in.  Remove chicken from water and set aside to cool.  Scrape any fat off the top of the water once cooled and reserve water.

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook sausage until done about 5-8 minutes.  Remove sausage and set aside.  In the same pot, add onions, bell pepper, thyme, creole seasoning and pepper and saute until vegetables are soft.

While veggies are cooking, remove skin from chicken breast and shred the meat into bite sized pieces.

Add reserved chicken water to the pot with veggies and add the box of Zataraines, stirring until the seasoning is dissolved in the water.  Add chicken and sausage to water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes, add shrimp and bring back to a boil then reduce to low and simmer for another 15 minutes until shrimp is cooked.

Serve over white rice, now enjoy y'all! Remember it's spicy!!!!