ElizabethB
Guru
Is it Gumbo or is it not Gumbo?
I am guilty of being a Gumbo Snob. The color is gross but the aroma and flavor are pure Gumbo.
GUMBO Z'HERBES
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pints dark Roux
8 quarts liquid - liquid from cooking greens plus chicken stock/broth
2 bunches mustard greens
2 bunches turnip greens
2 bunches collard greens
2 bunches kale
Course chop the greens
8 cups loosely packed baby spinach
3 medium yellow onions - diced
5 ribs celery - diced
1 large bell pepper - cored and diced
8 oz. Tasso - small dice
1 lb. ham - small dice
2 lbs. fresh pork sausage - cut into 1" pieces
2 lbs. Andouille - 1/4" slices
2 lbs. smoked sausage - 1/4" slices
2 TBSP. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. Cayenne (for flavor not heat)
5 whole, dried bay leaves
6 scallions - thin sliced - whites and greens
Chopped parsley to garnish
Gumbo File
Salt? Maybe - maybe not
METHOD
PREP
Greens - bunches of fresh greens are dirty - lots of grit. Wash, wash, wash and wash again. A royal pain.
Cut or tear the leaves from the stems.
Chop course.
Rinse again with spinach and drain for only a minute or two.
Spinach - not a problem. I used bagged fresh spinach.
From this point on spinach is included in greens.
Depending on the size of your stock pot you may need to steam the greens in batches. I did 2 batches. 1/2 cup chicken broth/stock and 1/2 of the greens with the water clinging to the leaves. Cook on medium low until the volume has greatly reduced but the greens are not completely cooked. They need to have texture. A little bit of crisp.
Drain the greens reserving the liquid.
Squeeze dry - reserving the liquid
Reserve 1/4 greens.
In two batches finely chop greens in food processor with a couple of TBSP. stock per batch
Set aside.
NOTE: After multiple washings the cooking liquid still had grit. Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter.
Dice the Holy Trinity - set aside
Have stock/broth and cooking liquid on hand.
ROUX
INGREDIENTS
For 1 1/2 pint
3 cups APF
3 cups neutral vegetable oil (Canola Oil)
TOOLS
A heavy bottom skillet or saute pan (cast iron, ceramic clad cast iron or aluminum clad, copper bottom saute pan}
Flat edge wood stirrer
PATIENCE
METHOD
Heat oil in skillet or saute pan until it begins to shimmer. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in flour. If your cook top is electric you may want to move the pan off of the burner. Immediately begin stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with your Roux stirrer. When the burner has cooled to low return the pan and continue cooking. Continue stirring and scraping. The Roux should begin to darken very gradually. If it darkens too fast remove from burner and reduce heat to low. Continue stirring and scraping until the Roux is almost but not yet the color of chocolate. Remove from the heat and add the Holy Trinity. Continue stirring and scraping until the pan has cooled enough to stop cooking the Roux. The roux will be the color of chocolate.
TIME? Too many variables. Heat retention of your pan. Heat of your cook top. Altitude, Humidity.
Use your nose. If at any time you smell burned flour STOP AND TOSS. The Roux is ruined and can not recover.
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK. STIR AND SCRAPE NON-STOP
You will be overwhelmed by the amazing aroma.
So greens are ready, stock is ready, Roux and Holy trinity are married. Transfer Roux mixture to a stock pot. Add 1/2 of the stock. Heat on medium low until the Roux and stock are incorporated. Add finely chopped greens and the remaining liquid (cooking liquid and stock). Add Bay Leaves and Cayenne. Turn heat to low and let the flavors meld.
MEAT
Slice the fresh pork sausage into 1" pieces
Dice the ham
Brown but do not cook the sausage. Add to Gumbo
Toss the ham in the same pan just to warm. Add to gumbo.
Add diced Tasso.
The ham and Tasso are small diced. They are not considered meat. Their presence is for flavor.
Allow to cook on low until the flavor of the sausage, Tasso and ham meld with the greens.
Add the 1/4" sliced smoked sausage and Andouille.
Increase heat to medium/medium low. Simmer until fat begins to release from sausage. Flavor!!
Use your eyes. The slices of sausage will begin to shrink and the white fat will begin to melt away.
Salt will not be needed. Low sodium broth still has a high salt content. All of the meats have salt and pepper. Don't ruin your gumbo by adding unneeded salt and pepper.
Add reserved course chopped greens, green onions and 4 to 6 TBSP. Gumbo File. If you add the file directly it will clump. Sift it into the gumbo with a fine mesh sieve. Cook on low for 10 minutes.
To serve:
Add a scoop of rice to a wide, deep bowl. Ladle gumbo over and around the rice. Dress with chopped Parsley.
ENJOY!!!
I am guilty of being a Gumbo Snob. The color is gross but the aroma and flavor are pure Gumbo.
GUMBO Z'HERBES
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pints dark Roux
8 quarts liquid - liquid from cooking greens plus chicken stock/broth
2 bunches mustard greens
2 bunches turnip greens
2 bunches collard greens
2 bunches kale
Course chop the greens
8 cups loosely packed baby spinach
3 medium yellow onions - diced
5 ribs celery - diced
1 large bell pepper - cored and diced
8 oz. Tasso - small dice
1 lb. ham - small dice
2 lbs. fresh pork sausage - cut into 1" pieces
2 lbs. Andouille - 1/4" slices
2 lbs. smoked sausage - 1/4" slices
2 TBSP. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. Cayenne (for flavor not heat)
5 whole, dried bay leaves
6 scallions - thin sliced - whites and greens
Chopped parsley to garnish
Gumbo File
Salt? Maybe - maybe not
METHOD
PREP
Greens - bunches of fresh greens are dirty - lots of grit. Wash, wash, wash and wash again. A royal pain.
Cut or tear the leaves from the stems.
Chop course.
Rinse again with spinach and drain for only a minute or two.
Spinach - not a problem. I used bagged fresh spinach.
From this point on spinach is included in greens.
Depending on the size of your stock pot you may need to steam the greens in batches. I did 2 batches. 1/2 cup chicken broth/stock and 1/2 of the greens with the water clinging to the leaves. Cook on medium low until the volume has greatly reduced but the greens are not completely cooked. They need to have texture. A little bit of crisp.
Drain the greens reserving the liquid.
Squeeze dry - reserving the liquid
Reserve 1/4 greens.
In two batches finely chop greens in food processor with a couple of TBSP. stock per batch
Set aside.
NOTE: After multiple washings the cooking liquid still had grit. Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter.
Dice the Holy Trinity - set aside
Have stock/broth and cooking liquid on hand.
ROUX
INGREDIENTS
For 1 1/2 pint
3 cups APF
3 cups neutral vegetable oil (Canola Oil)
TOOLS
A heavy bottom skillet or saute pan (cast iron, ceramic clad cast iron or aluminum clad, copper bottom saute pan}
Flat edge wood stirrer
PATIENCE
METHOD
Heat oil in skillet or saute pan until it begins to shimmer. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in flour. If your cook top is electric you may want to move the pan off of the burner. Immediately begin stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with your Roux stirrer. When the burner has cooled to low return the pan and continue cooking. Continue stirring and scraping. The Roux should begin to darken very gradually. If it darkens too fast remove from burner and reduce heat to low. Continue stirring and scraping until the Roux is almost but not yet the color of chocolate. Remove from the heat and add the Holy Trinity. Continue stirring and scraping until the pan has cooled enough to stop cooking the Roux. The roux will be the color of chocolate.
TIME? Too many variables. Heat retention of your pan. Heat of your cook top. Altitude, Humidity.
Use your nose. If at any time you smell burned flour STOP AND TOSS. The Roux is ruined and can not recover.
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK. STIR AND SCRAPE NON-STOP
You will be overwhelmed by the amazing aroma.
So greens are ready, stock is ready, Roux and Holy trinity are married. Transfer Roux mixture to a stock pot. Add 1/2 of the stock. Heat on medium low until the Roux and stock are incorporated. Add finely chopped greens and the remaining liquid (cooking liquid and stock). Add Bay Leaves and Cayenne. Turn heat to low and let the flavors meld.
MEAT
Slice the fresh pork sausage into 1" pieces
Dice the ham
Brown but do not cook the sausage. Add to Gumbo
Toss the ham in the same pan just to warm. Add to gumbo.
Add diced Tasso.
The ham and Tasso are small diced. They are not considered meat. Their presence is for flavor.
Allow to cook on low until the flavor of the sausage, Tasso and ham meld with the greens.
Add the 1/4" sliced smoked sausage and Andouille.
Increase heat to medium/medium low. Simmer until fat begins to release from sausage. Flavor!!
Use your eyes. The slices of sausage will begin to shrink and the white fat will begin to melt away.
Salt will not be needed. Low sodium broth still has a high salt content. All of the meats have salt and pepper. Don't ruin your gumbo by adding unneeded salt and pepper.
Add reserved course chopped greens, green onions and 4 to 6 TBSP. Gumbo File. If you add the file directly it will clump. Sift it into the gumbo with a fine mesh sieve. Cook on low for 10 minutes.
To serve:
Add a scoop of rice to a wide, deep bowl. Ladle gumbo over and around the rice. Dress with chopped Parsley.
ENJOY!!!
