Chicken and Smoked Sausage Etouffee

I used to LOVE watching the Food Channel.  Like I-could-watch-it-all-day kinda love.  However when I found out I have fibro and can't work out like I used to I had to cut off the Food Channel.  It was too tempting!! But, the other day I did flip it on for Tyler Florence's show 'Tyler's Ultimates.'  He always makes super yummy, completely unhealthy food.  But this time he made something I felt I just had to recreate!  The original is here. I followed it pretty much the whole way thru, with just a few minor changes. 

Here is my version...


Chicken and Smoked Sausage Etouffee



Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken andouille sausage links (from Trader Joes)
4 chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 (12-ounce) can beer
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper

Set a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and add a 2-count of olive oil. Add the sausage links and brown slightly as you render some of the fat. Remove and set aside on a paper towel. Season chicken with plenty of salt and pepper and to the pan. Cook over medium heat to render fat for 7 to 10 minutes, then turn to brown both sides of the chicken. Remove and set aside on a paper towels.

With the pot still over medium heat add 2 tablespoons butter to melt with the fat then add flour and whisk to incorporate (if it's too thick add chicken stock to thin it out), and then swap to a wooden spoon. Cook until it is nice and brown (you want a nice deep rich colored roux), about 10 to 12 minutes.

In a food processor add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and pulse to roughly chop. Add the vegetable pulp to the pot with the roux and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes to sweat out some of the moisture, then deglaze the pot with the beer.

Add the stock, bay leaves, paprika and cayenne. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from pot to a cutting board and shred the meat.  Cut the andouille sausage into chunks and nestle back into the pot amongst chicken to heat through. Cover and cook about 30 minutes.  Return the shredded chicken to the pot.  Cook for 15 minutes.

Give it all a final taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.


I made some rice on the side that was a mix of brown rice, millet, and moong dal with homemade veggie stock that I cooked in my trusty rice cooker.