For many deeply-rooted Louisianians, family recipes have a long and colorful history. As a child, Laplace home cook and caterer Myra Edgar Brown watched her Creole mother and grandmother as they cooked over giant bubbling pots of gumbo, pork stew, and bisque. It was in their home in Vacherie that she first learned her love of cooking and nourishing people.
“They knew how to make all sorts of recipes,” Myra says. “I used to watch my grandfather go out and hunt and fish so I learned to do a whole lot of that kind of cooking.”
For Myra’s take on her family’s rustic chicken and smoked sausage gumbo, she starts with a dry roux and a rich, flavorful homemade turkey stock. A slow simmer coaxes flavors from smoked turkey neck and local smoked sausages.
Beyond her gumbo—which won first prize in the 2014 St. John Parish Andouille Festival Gumbo Cook-Off—Myra is well-known for her Cajun Wedding Soup, Gumbolaya, and the particularly decadent Catfish á la Crème, which she served at Bubba and Myra’s Restaurant and more-recently See’ Bon. She passed along her years of experience in the kitchen by challenging her children Curly Jr., De’Andra, Janeka’, and Sandia’ with Iron Chef-style cook-offs using different ingredients. Above all, she teaches them to cook from their hearts and make her recipes their own.
“I love cooking for people, and seeing them enjoy my art,” Myra says. “From gumbo to a simple fried egg, that’s where I get my enjoyment.”
Now she is blessed with six grandchildren—E’nai’, Ernest III, Javen, Myracle, Rh’Nai’, Sanai’, and Arrenisha Hawkins—who are getting old enough to help in the kitchen and carry on the family’s Creole traditions.
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 pounds smoked turkey neck, chopped
- 3/4 pound smoked andouille, cut 1/2-inch thick
- 1 pound smoked sausages, cut 1/2-inch thick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 gallon water
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth
- 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
- 1/2 pound boneless chicken thighs, diced
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken wings, halved and wing tips removed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon filé powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
- Cooked long-grain rice, for serving
- In a large cast-iron pot, add flour, and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until flour is the color of dark caramel. Set aside.
- In a large stockpot, combine turkey, sausage, bay leaves, 1 gallon water, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer, and cook 30 minutes or until turkey meat is tender. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving meat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches, if necessary, and brown on all sides. Set aside. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Add chicken mixture and toasted flour to pan, stirring to coat.
- Gradually add turkey broth to chicken, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until no flour taste remains. Add onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, filé, parsley, reserved turkey, and reserved sausage, and cook, stirring, 5 minutes more. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with rice.
This is the type of gumbo that my husband would love. I like all gumbo, just about, but he is partial to chicken and sausage. I will be making this for him soon. Thank you Myra.
You are most welcome. I, too Marsha M-Socal love to make different types of Gumbo , however when dealing in the public eyes I make the Traditional Creole Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo. SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. AND.HAVE.THEM.TO.SHARE COMMENT AND MOST.OF ALL LIKE. AGAIN.THANK.YOU. MYRA EDGAR BROWN
Thank you Marsha I am happy you and husband enjoyed my Gumbo appreciate your comment.
Just want to say thank you Louisiana Cookin Magazine Daniel Schumacher and other staffs for publishing my gumbo in your magazine as well as interested parties who purchased the magazine. As a matter of fact, the magazine publication bought the attention of my gumbo to having my gumbo recipe/your magazine being shared and placed in another local River Parishes Magazine the L’Observateur C’est La Vie Magazine. I have received many positive reviews, comments, phone calls, newspaper interviews about how GREAT TASTING MYRA’S GUMBO IS !!! I received Proclamations, Recognitions, Plagues, from several parishes such as
St. John, St. James, St. Charles, and Lafourche Parishes, and the Key.to the
City /Town of Lutcher from their Mayor to having my Gumbo published in the Louisiana Cookin Magazine not to mention all these parishes and town mayor, parish presidents, councilwomen/men, aldermen, sheriff, administration’s and parishioners got to taste and enjoyed my Gumbo, Creole Potato Salad and Rice. As I promoted the Louisiana Cookin Magazine September / October 2015 Issue. This past week, to my surprise, October 1,2015,I received a family autograph portrait from our President of the United States and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama along with their children stating “Best Wishes ” will post. My life is changing since then . Wherever I go I am recognized as the lady/chef in the Louisiana Cookin Magazine some people did not know this magazine exist they think it is “a magazine I publish”( had to correct that in a hurry) Doing magazine autograph a great deal. Alot of out of state new subscribers been added to your magazine from several of my Facebook Friends and Families. I can go on and on but most of all it touched my heart from a young lady named Gayla Richard from the out skirts of Lake Charles, La who went beyond the call to reach me via the Louisiana Cookin Magazine with a phone call thanking and commending me for a job well done in placing my gumbo recipe she made it and enjoyed it all she plans.to come visit me very soon a new friend found through cooking. Thanks for sharing the interview with my cousin BIG FREEDIA it was a pleasure to read about him as well my family have many good cooks and it prove by two thus far.
Thank you and the magazine is still doing good and promoted.
Myra Edgar Brown
A dedicated reader and homemsker/chef
I am so happy for your success Myra in the cooking field. You might remember me from your high school days.
thank you very much love this and appreciate reviews
Mrs. Kraemer I wont every forget you especially in bookkeeping and typing. Love you for this.
This recipe is amazing and I hope the magazine features more of Myra’s recipes. I love the old heirloom recipes and try to collect and make as many dishes from them as I can.
Thank you John you made my day. Been getting alot of reviews, private and open catering especially from some well known people. Thank you i have several authentic food creations.
Do you have a cookbook?
Thanks for asking! We do have a cookbook of seafood recipes called Louisiana de Mer ( https://www.louisianacookin.com/louisiana-de-mer-cookbook/ ) but primarily we’re a bimonthly magazine, which you can order here – https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/HM/LUC/LAC_subs15.jsp?cds_page_id=187825&cds_mag_code=LUC&id=1457459924217&lsid=60681158442041838&vid=1
Irene I am in process of completing my first cookbook. So sorry for late response . Thank you for your interest in my future cookbook..will keep intouch. Again thank you
Hello, Ms Brown.
My family is also from LaPlace. Thru the years I have learned to Cajun cook. I love your gumbo recipe. I will have to try this one. Always wanted to cook my chicken andouillie gumbo from scratch. Need to call Jacobs & order more sausage. This time will add turkey necks. However, I need colder weather. 😉
brown the flour – no oil to make a roux”
Yes Mr..Jim Wolford just brown the flour no need for oil.
Thank you Patricia Cruz
I just read your loving comment and it was a shy of one day from my Bday
October 14, 2016. Yes, please do so you won’t regret making this Gumbo. I received over 5,000 reviews on the recipe receiving a 5 star rating for the consumers that cooked the gumbo. We need to get together and make some when there are cooler days. The editor of The.Louisiana Cookin Magazine will tell you how I can be reached. Again thank you.
I will have to make this for my wife. She’s is allergic to iodine. So this will be perfect…
Thank you Mr. Jason Gray. Do let me know how your wife as well as yourself enjoy the gumbo.
The best gumbo I’ve ever had was this combination of meats. That particular family who prepared it is also from Laplace. They are the Browns and Roussell family. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Ms Simone Cole I am originally from Vacherie where we are accustomed to having a hospitality pot filled of lots of meat, etc when making gumbo. The Family names mentioned are also in Vacherie. Glad you enjoyed reading the magazine. Try the recipe and let me know how you enjoyed making and eating it.
Myra is a wonderful awesome cook as well as my dear cousin. All of her dishes are prepared with her creole family expertise and love. Kudos and wishing you tremendous blessings in all your endeavors as a professional chef❤️
Myra is a wonderful awesome cook as well as my dear cousin. All of her dishes are prepared with her creole family expertise and love. Kudos and wishing you tremendous blessings in all your endeavors as a professional chef!