Brown the chicken and andouille: Heat a large skillet (that is not your gumbo pot). Add a splash of oil and brown the sliced andouille sausage, then remove. Add in the chicken thigh cubes, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and sear until golden brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Set proteins and pan with golden bits aside.

Make the roux: In your heavy bottomed pot, heat to medium low. Add the vegetable oil and gradually whisk in the flour. Stir constantly until the roux reaches a deep, rich color, about a shade or two darker than a melted Hershey bar (refer back to Gumbo Roux Bootcamp 101 above). Be patient and don’t stop stirring to prevent burning. When it reaches the ideal color remove from heat!! (There are a few oven roux recipes that also work decently well. They take longer, but don’t force you to sit over the stove.)

Add the holy trinity: Immediately stir in the diced onion, celery, jalapeño or habanero, and bell pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes (you’re using residual heat in the pan to cook this; the stove should still be off, or on the absolute lowest setting if your roux cooled too much). The “holy trinity” — onions, bell peppers, and celery — is the foundation of flavor in many Creole and Cajun dishes.

Build the flavor base: Stir in the thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Return the chicken thighs and andouille sausage to the pot, stirring to combine. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine.

Simmer the gumbo: Add in bay leaves. Turn heat back on and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You want the gumbo to thicken.

Season to taste: Add filé and hot sauce, to taste. Then adjust other seasonings if needed. Filé is ground sassafras leaves and it is what (to me) makes gumbo taste like gumbo.

Serve: Ladle the gumbo over bowls of steamed white rice and garnish with fresh parsley or green onions if desired.