Cajun Eggs Benedict
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This smoky take on a brunch favorite comes Lafayette, Louisiana’s The French Press restaurant but you can make it yourself for a taste of Cajun flavor at home.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) canola oil
- 1 lb. (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 lb. (225 g) andouille sausage links, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick crosswise
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) 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. (15 ml) gumbo filé
- 1 tsp. cayenne
- 2 tbsp. (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco, plus more for serving
- 4 cups (960 ml) chicken stock
- 8 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 lb. (450 g) raw pork boudin sausage, casings removed, formed into six3" patties
- 1/2 small loaf soft French bread, cut crosswise into six 1 1/2" slices
- 4 tbsp. (60 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 slices American cheese
- 6 poached eggs
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°. Heat 1/4 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.
- 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 1/2” 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 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in scallions; keep warm.
- 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.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 680
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- Ham, Egg and Chive Waffles
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gumbo filé and can I skip it?
Gumbo filé (filé powder) is ground sassafras leaves — a traditional Cajun/Creole thickener and flavoring used in gumbo. The recipe adds 1 tbsp to the roux-based sauce and cooks it for 1 minute to bloom its flavor. It is hard to substitute directly; a small amount of okra (thickens similarly) or simply omitting it while increasing the roux cook time slightly are the closest workarounds.
What is boudin sausage, and where do I find it?
Boudin is a Cajun pork sausage stuffed with rice, onions, and spices — distinct from andouille. The recipe uses 1 lb of raw pork boudin with the casings removed and formed into six 3-inch patties, which are pan-fried until browned to serve as the base under the poached egg. It can be found at Cajun specialty shops or well-stocked Southern grocery stores; andouille is not a substitute as it has a completely different texture.
Why does the roux need to cook for 20 minutes, and how dark should it get?
The instructions say to stir the flour into the oil over medium-low heat constantly for about 20 minutes until a dark brown roux forms. A dark roux is the flavor foundation of this gumbo-style sauce — it takes on a nutty, almost chocolate-like depth that a lighter, quickly-made roux cannot replicate. Rushing it over high heat risks burning, which makes the gumbo bitter. 
