This recipe has gone through several incarnations since it first appeared in the original 1931 edition of Joy. Irma’s version was very brothy and probably unrecognizable as a gumbo. This version walks the line between soup, stew, and fricassee. It is rich, spicy, and made for topping a steaming mound of rice.

Pat dry:

Season with:

Set aside. Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add:

Cook, stirring until the sausage is well browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels. In the rendered fat in the pot, fry the seasoned chicken pieces in batches until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch (do not crowd the pot). Transfer the chicken pieces to the plate with the sausage and pour the fat into a measuring cup. Add:

to reach ½ cup. Pour the oil back into the pot, then whisk in bit by bit:

Cook, stirring frequently, with a wooden spoon over medium heat, until the roux turns dark mahogany brown, about 20 minutes. As the roux darkens, prepare:

Once the roux is ready, add the vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Whisk in:

Bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce the heat and add the chicken along with:

Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes for breast pieces and 35 minutes for thighs. If desired, you may add for the last 10 minutes of cooking:

When the chicken is done, you can serve the pieces whole and provide knives to your guests, or remove them from the pot, let cool, and remove the bones and skin. Shred or coarsely chop the meat, and add it back to the pot, then add:

Skim excess fat from the top of the soup. Season to taste with:

Serve over:

Garnish with:

If desired, serve with a shaker of: