re: Do u brown your chicken prior to adding in gumbo?

From the recipe collection:

Donald Link's Fried Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

1 (3-4 pound) chicken
Chicken Seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
3 celery stalks, cut into small dice
1 poblano chile, stemmed .seeded and cut into small dice.
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice
1 Jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 Tbs salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp file powder
3 quarts chicken broth
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch half moons
3 cups sliced (1/2 inch slices) okra(about 1 pound)

Procedure
Cut the chicken into eight pieces with the skin on. Cut the breast meat from the bones and chop into 2-inch pieces. Lay the chicken on a plate or sheet pan and season evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Dust with flour and shake off excess

Heat 1 1/4 cups of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 350° F over medium high heat (a pinch of flour should sizzle in the oil when it’s ready. Fry the chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, about 3 minutes on each side, until light golden (the chicken does not need to cook all the way through; it just needs to color. Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels

Add the flour to the oil and stir gently with a whisk, preferably one with a long handle. Leave the heat on medium- high for the first 10 minutes. As the roux starts to darken, lower the heat n increments. When the roux reaches a light brown color, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until it takes on a smooth dark brown color, about 40 minutes total.

Carefully and slowly stir the onion, celery, peppers, garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne, chili powder, white pepper, paprika and file powder into the roux and stir with a wooden spoon. (Don’t use the whisk because the roux will be very thick at this point). Be careful when adding the vegetables to the roux because it will create a burst of steam. Allow the roux to cool briefly.

Transfer the roux to a large soup pot. Heat the roux over medium-high heat, stir in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Whisk the stock frequently as it comes to a boil because roux can stick to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Every now and then skim off the oil that rises to the surface; a good bit will float to the top as the soup cooks.

Add the chicken and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes. Add the sausage and simmer very slowly for about 1 more hour, skimming all the while until the chicken falls away from the bones. Taste the stock. If it still has a stro0ng roux flavor, add a few more cups of stock or water.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the okra and saute, stirring or flipping the okra in the skillet, for about 8 minutes until it’s lightly browned and the gooey slime has cooked out. Add the okra to the gumbo and simmer an additional 15 minutes.

The gumbo is finished when there is no more oil rising to the top. As with all soups and stew, gumbo is always better the second day, so you’ll be happy to have plenty of leftovers.

Tips
You may notice as I have that at no point does the sausage get added. Based on how the ingredients are listed and added I think they go in with the chicken. I would have fried them also for a minute or so to add flavor to the oil.


Paul Prudhomme's (Fried) Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

2 to 3 pound pound chicken, cut up
Salt
Garlic powder
Ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
Vegetable oil for deep frying
7 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or any other good pure smoked pork sausage such as Polish sausage (kielbasa), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 tsp minced garlic
Hot cooked rice

Procedure
Remove excess fat from the chicken pieces. Rub a generous amount of salt, garlic powder and red pepper on both sides of each pieces, making sure each is evenly covered. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl combine the onions, bell peppers and celery; set aside.

Combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake until chicken is well coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour.

In a large heavy skillet heat 1 1/2 inches of oil until very hot (375 to 400 degrees F). Fry the chicken until crust is rown on both sides and meat is cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes per side; drain on paper towels. Carefully pour the hot oil into a glass measuring cup, leaving as many of the browned particles in the pan as possible. Scrape the bottom with a metal whisk to loosen any stuck particles, then return 1/2 cup of the hot oil to the pan.

Place pan over high heat. Using a long-handled metal whisk, gradually stir in the reserved 1/2 cup flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until roux is dark red-brown to black, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let it scorch or splash on your skin. Remove from heat and immediately add the reserved vegetable mixture, stirring constantly until the roux stops getting darker. Return pan to low heat and cook until vegetables are soft, about minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the pan bottom well.

Meanwhile, place the stock in a 5 1/2-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until dissolved between each addition. Return to a boil, stirring and scraping pan bottom often. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the andouille and minced garlic. Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring often toward the end of the cooking time.

While the gumbo is simmering, bone the cooked chicken and cut the meat into 1/2-inch dice. When the gumbo is cooked, stir in the chicken and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Yield: Makes 6 main-dish or 10 appetizer servings
Source: Gris Gris

1. Gotta be thighs
2. You have to brown it.

I will have to try fried chicken on next time for sure

Yes. I like to get some color/char on it before adding. I also add most of the chicken early and let it cook apart. I withold approximately 15-20% of the chicken and 80% of the sausage until just before serving so that the chicken shreds (meat in every bite) and the 15-20% lets you have some larger pieces if desired. Sausage, I withhold 80-85% till before serving for the opposite reason, so it doesn't cook apart. That 15-20% sausage that stays the whole time cooks apart but gives flavor.
To each their own. Everyone has their way, just ask em!

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me too. makes the stock

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*broth

Yes, but always in bacon fat.
Smoked chickens, when I used to be able to find them in grocery stores, make the best gumbo. I'm too lazy to smoke my own.
Add the smoked chicken bones to the stock for added flavor.

Rotisserie chickens make great stock for gumbo

Browning the sausage, then chicken, then using that oil for the roux is the ultimate method for making wonderfully tasting gumbo.

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I go sausage then chicken and let it cook in all the grease from both

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Same