Cajun Eggs Benedict
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 6
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. I add 1 tbsp to the roux-based sauce and cook 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. I use 1 lb of raw pork boudin with the casings removed and form it into six 3-inch patties, which are pan-fried until browned to serve as the base under the poached egg. Find it 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?
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.
