Cajun Benedict

Chef Justin Girouard of the French Press restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana, replaces the Canadian bacon and hollandaise with boudin and gumbo in this bayou-based twist on the classic breakfast dish. This recipe first appeared in the iPad edition of our Jan/Feb 2013 issue along with an article on Lafayette, Louisiana's The French Press.

  • Serves

    serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 lb. andouille sausage links, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick crosswise
  • 34 cup flour
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. gumbo filé
  • 1 tsp. cayenne
  • 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 12 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco, plus more for serving
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 8 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 lb. raw pork boudin sausage, casings removed, formed into six 3" patties (available from cajungrocer.com)
  • 12 small loaf soft French bread, cut crosswise into six 1 1/2" slices
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 slices American cheese
  • 6 poached eggs

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 400°. Heat ¼ cup oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add chicken to pot; cook, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add andouille to pot and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to plate with chicken.

Step 2

Add remaining oil to pot, and reduce heat to medium-low; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, to form a dark brown roux, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, onions, peppers, and celery; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add filé, cayenne, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Chop reserved chicken into ½" pieces, and add to pot along with andouille and stock; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until gumbo is thickened, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in scallions; keep warm.

Step 3

Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add boudin patties; cook, flipping once until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes; keep warm. Brush bread slices with butter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and cook until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Place 1 slice cheese on each bread slice and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Divide bread between 6 shallow bowls, top with boudin patties and poached eggs, and ladle gumbo over top. Garnish with scallions and serve with hot sauce on the side, if you like.
  1. Heat oven to 400°. Heat ¼ cup oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add chicken to pot; cook, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add andouille to pot and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to plate with chicken.
  2. Add remaining oil to pot, and reduce heat to medium-low; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, to form a dark brown roux, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, onions, peppers, and celery; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add filé, cayenne, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Chop reserved chicken into ½" pieces, and add to pot along with andouille and stock; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until gumbo is thickened, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in scallions; keep warm.
  3. Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add boudin patties; cook, flipping once until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes; keep warm. Brush bread slices with butter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and cook until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Place 1 slice cheese on each bread slice and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Divide bread between 6 shallow bowls, top with boudin patties and poached eggs, and ladle gumbo over top. Garnish with scallions and serve with hot sauce on the side, if you like.
Recipes

Cajun Benedict

  • Serves

    serves 6

Cajun Benedict
TODD COLEMAN

Chef Justin Girouard of the French Press restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana, replaces the Canadian bacon and hollandaise with boudin and gumbo in this bayou-based twist on the classic breakfast dish. This recipe first appeared in the iPad edition of our Jan/Feb 2013 issue along with an article on Lafayette, Louisiana's The French Press.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 lb. andouille sausage links, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick crosswise
  • 34 cup flour
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. gumbo filé
  • 1 tsp. cayenne
  • 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 12 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco, plus more for serving
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 8 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 lb. raw pork boudin sausage, casings removed, formed into six 3" patties (available from cajungrocer.com)
  • 12 small loaf soft French bread, cut crosswise into six 1 1/2" slices
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 slices American cheese
  • 6 poached eggs

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 400°. Heat ¼ cup oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add chicken to pot; cook, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add andouille to pot and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to plate with chicken.

Step 2

Add remaining oil to pot, and reduce heat to medium-low; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, to form a dark brown roux, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, onions, peppers, and celery; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add filé, cayenne, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Chop reserved chicken into ½" pieces, and add to pot along with andouille and stock; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until gumbo is thickened, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in scallions; keep warm.

Step 3

Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add boudin patties; cook, flipping once until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes; keep warm. Brush bread slices with butter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and cook until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Place 1 slice cheese on each bread slice and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Divide bread between 6 shallow bowls, top with boudin patties and poached eggs, and ladle gumbo over top. Garnish with scallions and serve with hot sauce on the side, if you like.
  1. Heat oven to 400°. Heat ¼ cup oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add chicken to pot; cook, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add andouille to pot and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to plate with chicken.
  2. Add remaining oil to pot, and reduce heat to medium-low; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, to form a dark brown roux, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, onions, peppers, and celery; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add filé, cayenne, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Chop reserved chicken into ½" pieces, and add to pot along with andouille and stock; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until gumbo is thickened, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in scallions; keep warm.
  3. Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add boudin patties; cook, flipping once until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes; keep warm. Brush bread slices with butter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and cook until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Place 1 slice cheese on each bread slice and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Divide bread between 6 shallow bowls, top with boudin patties and poached eggs, and ladle gumbo over top. Garnish with scallions and serve with hot sauce on the side, if you like.

Continue to Next Story

Want more SAVEUR?

Get our favorite recipes, stories, and more delivered to your inbox.