Recipe of the Month - November 2014 Creole

A few weeks ago I knew that I was going to be home all day on a Saturday. It also happened to be the weekend that we got the first real rain of the season, so it was cold and rainy, perfect weather for soup. I have a cookbook that I bought this past summer when we were in Cambria and the cookbook has all kinds of southern seafood recipes in it. One of them is Creole Gumbo, a perfect soup for a cold rainy day. It was then and there that I decided I was going to make gumbo.

Now gumbo is not a soup that you can make in a hurry, it takes time and patience, but it is well worth it. This recipe looks complicated, but for the most part it isn't. However there are a couple of things that I need to point out with this recipe. First, follow the recipe and take your time. Have all of the ingredients chopped and ready, before you start cooking. This is critical or you will have disaster on your hands. Next, the is probably the most important part of the recipe, it provides the depth and richness to the gumbo. When making the roux, pay close attention that you don't burn it. You want cook it enough so that it develops a deep brown caramel color. This can be tricky, as you need to stir it constantly and moderate the heat. If you burn the roux, start over. Do not use burnt roux or you will waste everything else. Second, I could not find crawfish tails or Tasso . So I skipped the crawfish tails altogether and added extra shrimp. For the Tasso ham I used a smoked ham hock. I had the butcher crack it for me and I used half of it, trimming the ham from the bone and chopping it into little pieces. I used the same amount per the recipe in lieu of Tasso. Later on when I cooked the soup I added the ham bone that I had trimmed to get as much flavor from it as I could. It worked perfectly. It is very important to use Andouille in this recipe as well as fresh okra, they are both essential and you can get these at Lunardi's. When I browned the , I cooked the chicken and sausage together and I added the shrimp at the very end, as they take the least amount of time to cook. I usually add the shrimp right before adding everything into the soup, as the liquid will finish cooking them. Lastly, gumbo is traditionally served with white . You scoop some rice into a bowl and serve the gumbo right on top. I prefer just the gumbo, the rice is too filling for me. This soup is amazing and goes perfectly with a cold beer, Red Stripe or Dixie if you ask me. Or a nice glass of Pinot Noir.

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Ingredients

1 stick of butter (4 oz) plus 1 1/2 teaspoons (keep the two amounts separated) 5 1/2 tablespoons (4 oz) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup finely diced Tasso 1 red pepper, diced 1 greed pepper, diced 1 medium yellow onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons Texas Red Dirt Rub Creole Blend 1/2 cup dry whit wine 2 quarts chicken stock 1 1/2 cups sliced okra several dashes hot sauce 1 dash Worcestershire sauce 2 links smoked Andouille sausage, diced 5 ounces chicken breast, diced 5 ounces crawfish tail meat 6 ounces baby shrimp, peeled Cooked rice for serving Chopped green onions for garnish

Ingredients for Texas Red Dirt Rub Creole Blend

10 parts iodized salt 4 parts granulated garlic 4 parts fine black pepper 1 part cayenne 1 1/2 parts dried thyme 1 1/2 parts oregano 5 3/4 parts paprika 2 parts onion powder 1 part dried basil

Add 4 ounces of your butter and flour to a large pan and stir continuously over medium heat to form a roux. Cook until the roux reaches a medium caramel color. The color might be slightly darker than what you are comfortable with, but a dark roux adds great depth to gumbo and is essential. The color should be somewhere between caramel candy and a Hershey bar.

Sweat the Tasso, celery, peppers, and onion in the roux until the vegetables are soft, adding in the garlic for the last minute or two. By this time the roux should be a dark brown. Season well with Creole Blend seasonings. Deglaze the pan with white wine while whisking, then reduce for one full minute. The mixture will be very thick at this point. Add chicken stock and okra. Bring to a light simmer and cook for ten minutes. Add in hot sauce and Worcestershire, then adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Brown the lightly in a separate pan along with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter, then add to the mix and simmer the entire pot for approximately 15-20 minutes. Serve garnished with plain white rice and chopped green onions.