Recipe: Lowcountry Gumbo

This style of gumbo is definitely more Savannah/Charleston than the Louisiana styles most of y'all are probably used to. I was introduced to this style initially growing up at one of the many family reunions we'd attend. Family reunions in the south are big affairs: everyone shows up about mid-morning if it's on a Saturday, or just after church if it's on a Sunday, and brings whatever they had decided to cook that day. Big folding tables are set up out in the yard of whomever's house was the fortunate (or unfortunate ;)) one to be hosting - although sometimes we'd end up renting a public park or such. Then the dishes would just be scattered all over the tables - a cornucopia of roasted meats, fried things, stews, soups, vegetables, salads, casseroles. Gumbo of this style would be in a big pot, usually right next to another southern classic, Brunswick Stew (which I promise I'll share my recipe for soon). All of us kids would usually get first dibs at the tables. This was so we'd get all full of energy to run around and play for the rest of the afternoon while the adults sat around gossiping and telling stories.

I was re-introduced to this style of gumbo on a visit to Savannah about 15 years ago. Ever since, this style has stuck. I found the basics of a recipe in an old Edna Lewis cookbook with some cross-referencing to New Orleans Chef Paul Prudhomme's cookbook and fiddled with it until I got it to what I remembered. So, this is now how I make gumbo. Now, I admittedly don't always make it the same exact way every time - which is kinda the beauty of this dish. Sometimes I leave out the oysters or scallops because I can't find ones I like. Sometimes I add pulled chicken that I had leftover from earlier in the week. However, the recipe below is the one I most often use and matches closest to my memories. I hope y'all enjoy.

Lowcountry Gumbo

Ingredients

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour

1 bottle of good dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)

3 quarts of chicken stock

1 lb. of mild pork sausage, ground or diced

1 lb. of ham (off the bone preferred, but ham steaks are OK), diced

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, detailed, deveined, chopped

1 lb. scallops, chopped

1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat (if fresh is unavailable, a good refrigerated brand OK)

1 lb. mild whitefish filets (grouper, flounder, cod, halibut all acceptable), cut into small pieces

1/2 lb. oysters (this is weight after shucking - if fresh is unavailable, a good canned or refrigerated brand is OK), chopped

2 large red bell peppers, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

2 large sweet onions, diced

1 whole celery stalk (ribs removed), diced

6 large green heirloom tomatoes OR 10 green vine tomatoes, diced

1 small can (16 oz.) crushed red tomatoes

2 1/2 lbs. of frozen cut okra (usually 2 bags)

1 1/2 tbsp. celery salt

1 1/2 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tbsp. smoked paprika

1 tbsp. white pepper

1 tbsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. savory

1 tbsp. ground sage

1 tbsp. sugar

5 bay leaves

1 bunch of scallions, diced (for garnish)

6 cups of cooked long-grain white rice (because you can't have gumbo without rice :))

Directions

You will need a large 18 quart stockpot for this recipe. Over medium-high heat, add butter, sausage, and ham to pot. Cook until sausage is fully cooked and browning, stirring frequently with a big wooden flat spatula, approximately 10 minutes. Remove cooked sausage and ham with a slotted spoon to a separate plate or bowl leaving all rendered fat in the bottom of the stockpot. Now it's time to roux.

Keep heat at medium-high. Stir all of the flour into the fat. Using the spatula, keep stirring constantly at a slow, gentle pace until the roux reaches a medium brown (caramel) color. This can take anywhere from 10 - 15 minutes. Once you've hit color, immediately add back the pork, ham, chopped celery, onions, and bell peppers. Keep stirring until the vegetables start to sweat (about 4 - 5 minutes). Slowly add in 1/3 of the bottle of white wine at a time, stirring until fully incorporated. Now add all dry seasonings, the bay leaves, and frozen okra. Stir to incorporate. Now add all chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally and deep into the pot (to prevent any sticking) about every 4 - 5 minutes.

After 45 minutes of cooking, use a spoon to test for seasoning - adjust if you'd like (if too spicy for you, add a little more sugar). Now add the green and canned crushed tomatoes to the pot. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes, stirring about every 4 to 5 minutes. Gumbo should reach a thickness somewhere in between a soup and a hearty stew. If it's not thick enough for you, whisk 1 to 2 tbsp. of cornstarch into some hot water to make a slurry then add to the pot to thicken things up.

Now add all of the diced and chopped seafood to the pot. Continue cooking for an additional 30 - 45 minutes. All seafood should be cooked through and the gumbo should now have a solid and good seafood-forward taste. Remove pot from heat.

Use a ladle to fill bowls approximate 3/4 of the way to the top. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cooked white rice to the center. Sprinkle chopped scallions liberally over the top and serve.

(makes 16 - 24 servings.)

Recipe: Spicy Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:

1 lb. of okra, stems cut off

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

2 cups of shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch chunks

4 medium tomatoes, chunked into 1 inch cubes

10 garlic cloves, cut into 1/8 inch slivers

1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

6 tbsp. of Thai red curry paste (4 - 5 tbsp. if heat is a problem for you :))

3 tbsp. of fish sauce (to make this truly vegetarian, substitute 2 1/2 tbsp. of rice vinegar mixed with 1/2 tbsp. of sea salt for the fish sauce)

2 tbsp. minced lemongrass

1 tbsp. minced ginger

1 1/2 cups of coconut milk

1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

In a large wok or stir-fry pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, scallions, ginger, and lemongrass and saute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, okra, and carrots and saute until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, vegetable broth, fish sauce, and curry paste. Stir to combine all ingredients. Turn the heat to high and heat until the mixture is boiling vigorously. Then reduce heat to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for 40 - 45 minutes. Remove the lid and check the consistency of the curry. It should be of medium thickness, akin to a gravy. If the curry is really thin, whisk 1 tbsp. of corn starch with 2 tsp. of warm water and add to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh cilantro as a final step. Serve immediately over jasmine rice.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe: Easy Fried Okra

Don't cut up the pods like almost every other recipe for this does. They get gooey and force more of the batter than you want to stick to the vegetable and also cause the pieces to stick together. It's so much easier to do it "tempura style" like I recommend here.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of fresh okra pods

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 cup of corn meal

4 cups of lowfat buttermilk

1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

Sea salt to taste

4 cups of canola or other neutral oil for frying

Directions:

Mix the flour, corn meal, buttermilk, and spices together well to create a batter a little thicker than the consistency of pancake batter (add more flour/corn meal or buttermilk in equal parts to get the right consistency). Put all the okra pods in the batter and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.

Use a wok for the frying. Heat the oil in the wok over high heat. Working in batches, place the battered pods into the oil one at a time. Cook until the crust turns lightly brown. Scoop the okra out with a wire strainer and place onto a brown paper sack or paper towels to drain off excess oil. Season generously with salt. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe: Kitchen Sink Soup

OK... this is based on one of my grandma's recipes. You can actually throw whatever veggies you have around into this and it still comes out good...

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
25 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups of green beans
1 1/2 cups of white corn kernels
1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of black-eyed peas
1 1/2 cups of okra, diced
4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. of kosher salt
1 tbsp. of garlic powder
1 tbsp. of onion powder
1 tbsp. of savory
6 cups of water

Directions:

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and chicken breasts to the water and reduce heat to medium. Poach the chicken breasts for 8 minutes. Add the shrimp to the water and poach for an additional 5 - 6 minutes. Drain. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts and put the meat back into the pot along with the cooked shrimp.

Add the vegetables, chicken broth, and all other spices back to the pot. Return heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.