Chuck had told me a few times some of the steps to the gumbo but seeing this whole process was really something. The roux really does smell like burning popcorn. Celery, onion, and green bell pepper is called mirepoix and is the base of a lot of Creole recipes. The sausage, shrimp, and lobster (yes, lobster) were from Whole Foods and so delicious that we hardly added any additional spices to the dish.
Another great thing about yesterday is that Chuck took the pictures. I didn't get to his house until the process had been started and I panicked a little. He had it taken care of. He had photographed everything and it was very interesting to see all the pictures he thought were helpful. He ended up taking all of them except the final picture. Awesome, huh? He told me not to get used to it. And I totally understand.
So we watched the Super Bowl, snuggled my pup, chatted about the commercials and ate some unbelievable food.
Naw'lins Gumbo
Ingredients3/4 c. Canola oil
1 c. Flour
1 Yellow onion, diced
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Jalapeno pepper, diced, seeds and removed from 1/2
3 Celery Stalks, diced
3 Bay leaves
1 c. Okra pieces (we used frozen because we couldn't find fresh)
1 t Cayenne pepper (optional - we like extra spicy)
12 oz. Andouille Sausage
16 oz. Shrimp
2 c. Shredded chicken (we used what was left from the chicken tacos last
weekend)
1 Lobster tail
Kosher salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Directions
1: Prep all veggies, slice sausage, peel and take the tails off of the shrimp and save
(weird yes, but totally worth it)
2: Put the shrimp skins and tails in a pot with enough water to cover them and a
tablespoon of Kosher salt. Boil for about 10 minutes, remove from heat and
strain out the skins, saving the liquid. This is your shrimp stock to be used
later. Tip from Chuck: It isn't very fun to be having to take off the shrimp tails
while you are eating but they add a lot of flavor. This stock will give you the
flavor from them and you won't have to pick them out to peel them while
eating!
3: Brown the sausage in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Once browned, remove the
sausage from the pan, leaving the drippings and add the canola oil and flour
and start stirring. Stir continuously until it is chocolate colored. This takes a
while and it is important to not let it burn. It will smell like burning popcorn.
Don't worry, that's supposed to happen. Chuck's arm was very tired by the time
he was done stirring. It takes about 20 minutes.
4: Add the veggies, pinch of salt and pepper, and cayenne (if you choose to use it) and
keep stirring for a bit. Tip from Chuck: The moisture from the veggies should
keep anything from sticking and burning but after all of the work you put in to
making the roux, you don't want to ruin it now!
5: Once the veggies are soft, add 4 c. chicken stock and 2 c. of the shrimp stock you
made earlier. Add the sausage and bring to a heavy simmer, then reduce heat,
keep covered, and let cook for about an hour.
6: Add okra and shredded chicken 20 minutes before you want to eat
7: Lastly, add the shrimp and lobster and cook until they are pink. Should take about 5
minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
We served this up with a scoop of Basmati rice on top and a baguette that was infused with garlic and Parmesan. Chuck decided this is not a dish to make at a party. Although we had enough to feed an army, it is labor intensive and wouldn't be good while trying to entertain.
He worked very hard on it during the first half of the Super Bowl and was very disappointed when the first play of the second half, when he could finally sit down to watch, looked to seal the deal for the Ravens. Luckily it turned around and was a great game!
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