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)

Quadruple jump spinning thingy? Pshhh, that's easy! Like the Big Easy (lame pun intended)

This weekend's culinary challenge is an ode to N'aw 'Leans it is February after all-- the month we celebrate Mardis Gras. I, however, am celebrating doing my very own tax returns for the first time ever. I'm glad with the money I'm getting back and have already spent it in my head. That is the American way.


Anyways... I will be attempting Gumbo and will be using Emeril's recipe. I thought I'd share it with you. Perhaps you would like to embark on this challenge with me and you can let me know how yours turned out. Gumbo seems like a difficult dish to make so cross your fingers for mine because if it turns out decent, I just might invite you over for dinner :) 


P.S. I'm up watching the Olympics-- men's figure skating to be exact. It's unfortunate they are airing it so late-- unfortunate for the fans: old women and gay men. My personal favorite is Johnny Weir. The commentators often describe him as doing things "on his own terms." Unconventional  I guess... or dare I say rebel? Of course. Only in figure skating will the rebel be someone who wears sequence and feathers. Suck it Russia. U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!
Emeril's Country File Gumbo

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Prep Time:

45 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 15 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

3 quarts

Ingredients

•                1 1/2 cups Medium Dark Roux, see How To Roux, recipe follows

•                2 cups diced onions

•                1 cup diced celery

•                1 cup diced green bell pepper

•                1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

•                2 quarts shrimp, crab or chicken stock

•                1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds, browned in a skillet, and drained on paper towels

•                2 bay leaves

•                1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

•                Dash hot sauce

•                1/4 teaspoon cayenne

•                1 1/2 teaspoons salt

•                3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•                2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

•                1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows

•                1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

•                1/3 cup green onion tops, chopped

•                1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves

•                2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

•                1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

•                1/2 cup file powder, or to taste

•                Steamed White Rice, for serving

Directions

Heat the roux in a medium-sized heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Stir mixture until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the browned sausage, bay leaves, Worcestershire, hot sauce, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

Bring gumbo to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until gumbo is slightly reduced, about 50 minutes. (Gumbo should cook long enough for the roux flavor to mellow and for any floury taste to dissipate.)

Season the shrimp with the Essence in a small bowl. Stir in the seasoned shrimp, crabmeat, green onions, parsley, thyme and basil. Cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Sprinkle in file powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more, or pass file at the table for guests to thicken as desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serve in warmed soup bowls over steamed white rice.

How to Roux:

3 cups vegetable oil

5 cups all-purpose flour

Place a heavy, iron Dutch oven, (or iron skillet with deep sides) over medium heat and heat the oil until just smoking. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly, until roux becomes smooth and thick. Continue to cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon and reaching all over bottom of pan, until roux darkens to desired color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. The roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specs appear you must start over.

For a Light Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the color of peanut butter. Remove about 1 cup of the light colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for the Delmonico's Seafood Okra Gumbo.

For a Medium Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the color of a copper penny when ready. Remove about 13/4 cups of the medium colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for Emeril's Country File Gumbo.

For a Dark Brown Roux, cook the mixture an additional 35 to 45 minutes. The color should resemble dark chocolate when ready. Remove all of the remaining dark roux from the pan and cool completely. Set aside for the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

Yield: about 4 1/2 cups roux

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Inactive Prep Time:

NOTE: The timings for various shades of roux will vary depending on the cooktop as well as the amount of roux made. (A smaller amount will cook in much less time.) If this is your first time making a roux, the slower you cook it, the less likely you will be to burn it. The important thing is to cook the roux to the desired color, as specified above.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup