This week calls for record snowfall in South Louisiana, so warming up with a delicious, classic Cajun dish is the best way I know to survive an Arctic blast.
You won’t find a rural Cajun lunchroom that doesn’t have sausage and gravy on the steam table. The dark roux gravy clings to the chunks of pork and covers a mound of rice with a thick cloak of goodness. It is simple; it is heavenly.
You’ll love the dark, rich flavors of this rural Cajun dish. (All photos credit: George Graham)
My wife’s grandmother, Mo Mo Eve Fontenot, made this lunchtime dish often and filled her family with a hot meal and warm memories. And Roxanne has passed this recipe down to a new generation who can’t get enough of these hearty flavors.
The essential ingredient is to source quality fresh sausage. I’m not talking pre-cooked, smoked sausage, but rather, a raw pork sausage stuffed into a casing. In Cajun country, this is available at every grocery or meat market. It comes in a variety of versions and spice levels, such as green onion sausage, jalapeno sausage, and even syrup sausage. I stick with a simple pork sausage seasoned mild; I want the roux gravy and onions to build bold flavor.
A key to slicing the sausage is to make sure it is ice-cold. Slicing through room-temperature sausage risks breaking up, but chilled links will hold together. The onions must be cut into thick slices and browned to release their sweetness. It is the sugars of the onions that balance the deep flavors of this dish.
Sold in 16-ounce glass jars, Rox’s Roux is your gateway to many classic Cajun recipes. Click on the photo to purchase.
And the deeper, darker, and richer the roux, the better this dish will be. That’s why I use Rox’s Roux—a Certified Louisiana product. The outcome is consistent and ensures quality.
Rox’s Roux is available online in our Acadiana Table STORE or at the following South Louisiana retailers:
Heleaux’s Grocery
3002 Verot School Rd, Lafayette, LA 70508
337-856-7872
Billeaud’s Grocery
111 E Main St, Broussard, LA 70518
337-837-6825
The Kitchenary
456 Heymann Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70503
337-264-1037
Champagne’s Market in the Oil Center
454 Heymann Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70503
337-235-4114
Little Verons
403 Rena Drive, Lafayette, LA 70503
337-981-0098
Bonjour Gifts
124 N. Morgan Av., Broussard, LA 70518
337-330-4343
Give this simple dish a try, and I am confident you will add this to your recipe repertoire.
- 8 (6-inch) links fresh pork sausage, about 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large yellow onions, thickly sliced into rings
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 (heaping) tablespoons dark Cajun roux, such as Rox’s Roux
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup diced green onion tops
- 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice, such as Supreme, for serving
- Hot sauce, for serving
- Refrigerate the sausage links until chilled. Slice into 2-inch portions.
- In a cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, add the oil.
- Add the sausage links to the hot oil in batches and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pot.
- In the remaining oil, add the onion slices. Cook until wilted and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the sausage back to the pot and season with white pepper, onion powder, salt, and Cajun seasoning.
- Add the stock and roux; stir to combine.
- Turn the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the sausage is cooked through and the gravy has thickened to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 hour.
- Just before serving, add the parsley and green onion tops to the pot; stir to combine. Serve over rice with hot sauce on the side.
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Another delicious addition to our menu this week. Our family enjoys your recipes George. Thanks so much.
Marty- I am so glad to hear from you, and very happy that you like the pork sausage recipe. All the best.
When I was a little boy (over 80 years ago, I’m now 85) fresh pork sausage and gravy over rice was a staple. Even today, when I can find some real fresh pork sausage (in Houston area), I take out the big black pot and start my roux. Giving out the recipe might encourage some of your readers to try this one. Thank you. Steve Hebert
Steve- I bet you’ll always feel like a little boy when you belly up to a steaming plate of pork sausage and gravy over a mound of rice. Food memories are the best. Thanks for the kind comment.
You are so right. This has been a long-time family favorite and tradition. I’m from Thibodaux, and to this day, i still cherish this easy-to-make dish. As you said, you have to use fresh homemade sausage and seasonings. Thank you for introducing true Louisiana cuisine and keeping the Cajun culture alive.
Lillie- You said a mouthful: This is a family favorite dish and best made with “fresh” pork sausage. I appreciate your glowing review, and please continue to comment to me.
This recipe caught my attention because of the history of it being your wife’s grandmother’s recipe. I decided to try it this week, and we decided it’s definitely a “keeper” recipe. It was delicious! Later discovered this recipe was also my friend’s grandmother’s recipe (she happens to be Roxanne’s first cousin). Now, it’s even more special. Note: I added potatoes to my gravy and cooked them… yummy!
Hey Diane- Glad you enjoyed the Pork Sausage in Roux Gravy. It is safe to say that a version of this recipe is among just about every Cajun grandmother’s recipe list of favorites. All the best.
I love fresh pork sausage smothered in gravy; it’s the first thing I want to eat when I get to Louisiana. I can’t find it here in California. Can you give me a recipe to make it. I’ve had it shipped before, but it’s quite expensive.
Sharon – I assume you are looking for a recipe to make the pork sausage. I am not a sausage-maker, but I will point you to this VIDEO tutorial with a step-by-step recipe. Happy sausage-making!
Thanks so much, just what I was looking for!
George, many thanks for posting this recipe, and especially for posting the link in the comments about the sausage making. You’ve made it a point in several of your recipes that it’s important to use a good-quality fresh pork sausage, and I’m very glad for this pointer. I’ve transcribed the recipe (with some amount of pain) from the video, and plan to make it soon, scaled way back. I’m going to make and freeze patties, and hope they don’t disintegrate in the cooking process, given that they won’t have casings. But, even if they do, I think that the end product will be just fine to serve over rice.
This for sure is a TRUE hit to everyone. Try this as well: fresh smothered turnips with pork chops (bone-in), and not too thick, especially during cold days or even hot days. You da man!
Hey Chris- Perfect for this cold weather, for sure. All the best, my friend.