Sweat and Tears

Four hours. That's how long I labored over Gumbo today. You might be wondering why I would put myself through such hardship. That's what my dad asked me when I told him what I was doing. Well, believe it or not, I actually find it rewarding when I take on a challenging dish and the end result is not a disaster. I seldom cook. During the week, I usually will eat baked tilapia because it's easy and cooks fast or  spam and eggs. So, when I do take the time and money to cook my motto is go big or go home... I'm kind of like an Olympian that way ;). I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe, found in my previous blog (that includes recipe for the roux and the seasoning).

ROUX: THE MARATHON

Roux (pronounced Roo), is the key ingredient in Gumbo. Roux is the thickening agent for the stew and also gives Gumbo that unique sort of nutty flavor. Roux is oil and flour cooked over medium heat constantly stirred for at least one-hour and a half. When the directions say stir constantly, they are serious. The roux gets really hot and if you let it sit for a couple seconds, parts of it will burn and you have to start all over. It's important to use a pan that will hold heat well, like a dutch oven. Use a wooden spoon or a silicon whisk to stir and make sure you scrape the sides and the bottom.

A couple of tips if you dare to make roux:

• Silicon whisk scrapes the sides much better than a wooden spoon.
• Make sure you have drinking water and some sort of snack because you'll be standing over that stove for a long time.
• Maybe have a stool nearby if you get tired.
• Be very careful because the roux is very very hot and when it splashes on you, it burns for a long time.

You can make different colored rouxs for different types of Gumbo. I made a Medium Dark Roux.

Roux at different stages

Once the roux is done, you can move on to actually make the gumbo.

GUMBO

The Gumbo itself is fairly easy. I highly recommending chopping everything (the onions, green bell peppers, celery, green onion, basil and parsley) ahead of time. Make "Emeril's Essence" ahead of time as well. This seasoning calls for paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. I did not have cayenne pepper, I used chili powder instead.

Heat one cup and half of roux and add the onions, bell peppers and celery (a.k.a the trinity). Be careful because the roux can burn at this point. You add the garlic and slowly whisk in 8 cups of chicken stock. You simmer that for 50 minutes and in the meantime season the shrimp with Emeril's Essence seasoning. Then add the shrimp and crab and cook for another five minutes. I only used a little bit of crab because it's pretty expensive.

Serve over warm rice and there you have it... a taste of N'aw 'Leans.

The dish turned out well. My dad came over for lunch and had some as well and he liked it which says a lot to me because he is very critical. I don't think I will be making this again if I didn't have ready made roux.

Making Gumbo has given me a whole new appreciation for New Orleans cuisine. This blog is dedicated to those who are assigned the keeper of the roux.

CRISPY WON-TONS IN CINNAMON SUGAR

I have leftover won-ton wraps from when I made dim sum. My mom used to fry won-ton wraps and put powdered sugar on them. I sort of made my own version of that and rolled the won-ton in cinnamon sugar (that's just cinnamon and sugar mixed together). I then served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and raspberries :)

Go Apolo! (I'm currently watching Olympics)