TODAY IS: National Gumbo Day!
Are you happy? You should be! Today Is National Gumbo Day, and honestly, I'm happy for any eatin' holiday and ready to celebrate at a moment's notice. No one knows where the hell gumbo first came from, but basically, it's a happy collision of Spanish, African, French and Caribbean influences - though for our purposes, let's just say that a Spanish person banged an African person who banged a French person, and so forth, with a lot of cooking and experimenting and flip-flopping and spooning in-between. You doubt this theory? Name me a professional chef who's not a complete hor. You can't, can't you? I rest my fanny.
Food is usually Madame Fleurette's game - Peckerwood Cafe is her beat! - and I don't want to bump up against that, but I don't think she'll mind if I share this dee-licious New York Times Seafood Gumbo recipe, which yours truly has tried and had much success with. And, yes, I've varied the ingredients each time I've made it - one time I used black rice, fine-chopped eggplant instead of okra and doubled the amount of garlic - but this is a great base to work from and add your own twists. Oh, and what's "file powder" in the ingredients list? It's made from the ground leaves of sassafras tree - no, really - and don't worry if you don't have it, you can definitely make gumbo without it. If you do get it, you can use it tons of things besides gumbo, like any stew 'n such, so it's worth grabbing.
What are your favorite gumbo recipes? Oh, and btw, I've been incognito lately because the place is still being painted, along with other sundry improvements, but it'll all be done soon - finally! - and I'll be back up on my knees in no time with many
DELISH SEAFOOD GUMBO
by Jaques Pepin via The New York Times
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 6 servings
2 quarts water
¾ pound fish fillets (cod, pollock or another variety of fresh white fish), cut into 1-inch pieces
½ pound (about 26) small peeled fresh or frozen shrimp
¼ cup canola oil
⅓ cup flour
2 onions, peeled and sliced (about 2½ cups)
½ cup long-grain rice
About 7 scallions, damaged leaves removed and discarded; cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1½ cups), both white and green parts
5 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sliced celery
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
½ pound okra, ends trimmed, cut into 1½-inch-long rounds
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine (about 1 tablespoon)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon filé powder
PREPARATION
¾ pound fish fillets (cod, pollock or another variety of fresh white fish), cut into 1-inch pieces
½ pound (about 26) small peeled fresh or frozen shrimp
¼ cup canola oil
⅓ cup flour
2 onions, peeled and sliced (about 2½ cups)
½ cup long-grain rice
About 7 scallions, damaged leaves removed and discarded; cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1½ cups), both white and green parts
5 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sliced celery
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
½ pound okra, ends trimmed, cut into 1½-inch-long rounds
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine (about 1 tablespoon)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon filé powder
PREPARATION
Step 1
In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring the water to a boil. Add the fish and shrimp, stir, and cook over high heat for about 4 minutes. (The water will not have returned to a boil.) With a slotted spoon remove the seafood; place in a bowl, cover, and set aside. Reserve the poaching liquid.
In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring the water to a boil. Add the fish and shrimp, stir, and cook over high heat for about 4 minutes. (The water will not have returned to a boil.) With a slotted spoon remove the seafood; place in a bowl, cover, and set aside. Reserve the poaching liquid.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small skillet mix the oil and flour together, and cook over high heat for about 1 minute, until it sizzles. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the roux is a deep mahogany color. Add the sliced onions to the mixture, stir, and then add the roux and onions to the reserved poaching liquid, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, still stirring, and add the rice, stirring well to incorporate it.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet mix the oil and flour together, and cook over high heat for about 1 minute, until it sizzles. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the roux is a deep mahogany color. Add the sliced onions to the mixture, stir, and then add the roux and onions to the reserved poaching liquid, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, still stirring, and add the rice, stirring well to incorporate it.
Step 3
Add the remaining ingredients except for the reserved fish and shrimp and the filé powder. Stir, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover, and boil gently for 20 minutes. Stirring, sprinkle the filé powder on top, mix and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the reserved fish and shrimp and the filé powder. Stir, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover, and boil gently for 20 minutes. Stirring, sprinkle the filé powder on top, mix and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 4
If serving immediately, add the cooked fish and shrimp, return to a boil, and serve. If serving later, reheat at serving time, adding the cooked fish and shrimp at the last minute to warm them through.
If serving immediately, add the cooked fish and shrimp, return to a boil, and serve. If serving later, reheat at serving time, adding the cooked fish and shrimp at the last minute to warm them through.
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