The Melting Pot 2.0

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Internet Message Format | 1995-09-27 | 8.2 KB

From: elendil@mintir.new-orleans.la.us (Edward J. Branley) Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes Subject: COLLECTION: Gumbo Date: 14 Aug 1994 21:59:34 -0400 Organization: Minas Tirith BBS (Public Access Usenet for New Orleans) Message-ID: <tNYRuAPMBh107h@mintir.new-orleans.la.us> References: <31p6hk$7ah@hacgate2.hac.com> First, how to make a roux: Roux "First you make a Roux" -- this phrase is repeated in almost all Creole and Cajun recipes. A Roux is a mixture of fat and flour, cooked together until the flour has turned an even, nut-brown color. It is important that the Roux be cooked in a heavy pot, slowly and evenly. If the flour is burned, it will not thicken the sauce. It will also impart an unpleasant taste. Accepted methods of making a Roux call for equal parts of flour and fat (oil, bacon grease, shortening, butter, or margarine). For an ordinary sauce (such as gumbo, daube, grillades, etc.) bacon grease or oil is used. For more delicately flavored dishes (poultry, fish, and eggs), butter or margarine is usually preferred. In a heavy sauce pan, melt the butter, or slightly heat the oil, over low heat. Stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until a rich brown Roux is formed (about 20 to 25 minutes). Roux may be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, tightly covered, for long periods of time. >From _La Bonne Cuisine: Cooking New Orleans Style_ This first Gumbo recipe is fairly standard; substitute crabmeat and shrimp for the chicken and sausage, and you get seafood gumbo. Substitute Andouille sausage for the smoked sausage, and you get a fair approximation of the gumbo at Mr. B's restaurant in the Quarter, which is arguably the best gumbo in town. Chicken and Sausage Gumbo 1 (4-6 pound) hen Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste 1/3 cup cooking oil 2 large onions, chopped 2 ribs celery, finely chopped 1/2 bell pepper, chopped 2 large cloves garlic, minced 2/3 cup flour 2 gallons water 1/3 cup dry red wine 3/4 pound smoked sausage, sliced 1 pint oysters, drained and rinsed parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon gumbo file 3 cups rice, cooked Cut up the hen and season generously with the salt, pepper, and cayenne. In a heavy pot fry the hen in oil until golden brown. Remove the oil and reserve it for making the roux. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the chicken. Cover and cook over low heat. Make a dark brown Roux using 1/2 cup of the reserved oil and the flour. Cool the roux slightly and add to the chicken. Continue cooking over low heat, adding the water in small amounts and add the wine. When the chicken is fork tender, add the smoked sausage. Add the oysters and parsley 10 minutes before serving. Immediately before serving, remove from the heat and add the file . Serve in heated gumbo bowls over rice. ========== This recipe is taken from _Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking_, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. This is an excellent cookbook by one of the best chefs in New Orleans. All text below is from the book. If you have an interest in New Orleans cooking, I heartily recommend this book. Big Easy Seafood Okra Gumbo Makes 12 cups, 12 first-course servings or 8 main-course servings Gumbo--hearty and brimming with fresh seafood and vegetables--seems to be everyone's favorite in Louisiana, and it's gaining popularity throughout the country. But some people hesitate to make gumbo, thinking it requires a great deal of time or energy to prepare. It may have something to do with "rouxphobia," or fear of making a roux. This gumbo doesn't have a roux; it's thickened with okra and file' powder, which is ground sassafras leaves. Look for file' powder on your grocer's spice rack. So keep in mind that although the ingredient list for this dish may seem long, once you have everything measured and ready to go, it's a quick and easy gumbo to make. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil 1/2 cup chopped onions 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano 1/4 cup chopped celery 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers 1 cup slice fresh okra (about 8 1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers large okra) 1 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons Emeril's Creole 4 turns freshly ground black pepper Seasoning* 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped 1/2 pound peeled medium fresh Italian plum tomatoes shrimp 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 cup shucked fresh oysters, with 1 tablespoon minced shallots their liquor 2 quarts Fish Stock 1/2 pound (about 1 cup) fresh lump 1/2 pound (about 1 cup) firm-fleshed crabmeat, picked over for shells fish, such as grouper, tilefish, and cartilage monkfish, or sea bass, diced 1 teaspoon file' powder 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 4 cups cooked long-grain white 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce rice, warm 6 bay leaves 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped green onions 1. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, and green and red peppers and saute' for 1 minute. Add the salt and pepper and saute' for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, garlic, shallots and saute', stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. 2. Stir in the stock, add the fish, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, bay leaves, basil, oregano, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. 3. Fold in the okra and Creole Seasoning, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Skim the impurities from the top of the gumbo, turn the heat to high, and cook for 5 minutes. Fold in the shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly sprinkle in the file', stirring to incorporate it thoroughly, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. 4. To serve as a first course, ladle 1 cup of the gumbo into each of 12 gumbo bowls or soup plates, and add 1/3 cup of the rice to each; for a main course, allow 1 1/2 cups gumbo and 1/2 cup of rice. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of the green onions. * Emeril's recipe for Creole Seasoning is in the cookbook. Tony Cachere's Creole Seasoning is a good commercial substitute. ========== Gumbo Z'Herbes The tradition behind Gumbo Z'Herbes is that it was usually made on Holy Thursday for consumption on Good Friday. Since Good Friday was (and still is) a day of fasting and abstinence from meat for Catholics, something meatless had to be prepared for dinner. Catholics in New Orleans normally had no difficulties with the Church's no-meat-on- Fridays rule, since we have such an abundance of seafood in the area. Good Friday was a bit different, however, since it is also a day of *fasting*. The regular Friday seafood feast had to be toned down dramatically in keeping with the tone of the day. I don't know much about all of the various levels of vegetarianism, so I'll just say that this dish contains no meat or seafood. The shortening called for in the recipe could be replaced with olive oil, since this is for making the roux. I'll leave it to the Vegans and such to make this recipe fit their dietary requirements. 1 bunch each, in any combination, but use at least five: spinach, collard, mustard or turnip greens, watercress, chicory, beet tops, pepper grass, radish tops 1 bunch parsley, chopped 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped 1 small green cabbage, chopped 1 gallon water 4 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons shortening 1 large onion, diced 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs thyme 1/4 teaspoon allspice Salt and pepper to taste Cayenne to taste 2 cups rice, cooked Wash the greens, parsley, green onion, and cabbabe thoroughly and remove the stems and hard centers. Boil in water for 2 hours. Drain the greens and reserve the water. Chop the greens finely. In a soup kettle make a brown roux of the flour and shortening. Add the onion and saute' for 15 minutes. Add the reserved cooking water, herbs, spices, and seasonings. Simmer for 1 hour. Serve over rice. Serves 8.