Ina Garten Gumbo Recipes

GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup of the vegetable oil in a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the flour and whisk until combined and just beginning to brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until it is a deep peanut butter brown color, 15 minutes. Set the roux aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and is lightly browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and brown over medium heat in the sausage drippings. Remove the chicken from the pot and place in the bowl with the sausage. Stir in the tomato paste until smooth and slightly darkened (be careful not to burn), about 1 minute. Add the celery, onions, peppers and cayenne to the pot and continue to cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the warm roux a bit at a time until combined. Tie the pickling spice in a bit of cheesecloth and add to the pot along with the chicken and sausage. Simmer all together until thickened and the flavors have blended, about 45 minutes.
• Add the shrimp and gumbo file and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through and the gumbo has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the pickling spice bundle. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Serve the gumbo over rice.

SHRIMP AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine peppers, onions, and celery in a bowl and have ready next to the stove. In a large heavy skillet (cast iron is best) heat oil until it just begins to smoke. Gradually add flour, whisking constantly. Continue whisking constantly and cook over medium to medium-high heat until roux is dark brown and very fragrant. Add vegetable mixture and stir with a wooden spoon, continuing to cook, for 2 minutes. Add salt and dry seasonings and garlic and stir to combine, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, then remove pan from heat.
• Place shrimp stock in a large Dutch oven or stockpot and bring to a gentle boil. Gradually add roux mixture to boiling stock, whisking constantly, until completely incorporated and dissolved. Return to a boil and add the andouille, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then add shrimp and turn off heat. Let gumbo sit for 5 minutes to allow shrimp to cook, then serve immediately over a scoop of plain white rice.
• Note: You can do everything in this recipe up to the point of adding the shrimp beforehand; bring gumbo up to a boil before adding shrimp to serve.
• Cooking the roux can be tricky. For safety's sake, wear good oven mitts while whisking (roux can cook to nearly 400 degrees F!) and be very careful not to let it burn on the bottom. If black bits show up in the roux before it is done, you must start over, boo-hoo. If the roux starts to smoke, remove it from the heat for a few minutes and keep whisking?remember that the pan will retain a lot of heat that will continue to cook the roux even off the flame. This is not a quick project! Your patience will be rewarded with a rich, delicious gumbo.
• Peel and de-vein the shrimp and reserve the shells. Refrigerate the shrimp until needed. In a saucepan or stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Then, add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring constantly, until shells are pink and fragrant. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add water to the pot to just past the level of the shrimp shells and add peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Skim impurities (i.e., scum) from top of stock and simmer for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Strain stock and reserve.

CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and much of the fat is rendered. Remove the sausage to plate with a slotted spoon.
• While the sausage browns, pour a good amount of flour into a shallow baking dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken with the flour and add to the Dutch oven, in batches if necessary, and cook until brown on both sides. Remove to the plate with the sausage.
• Add the 1/2 cup flour to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown. Add the onions, peppers, and celery to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Stir in the okra and the garlic and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.
• Strip the leaves from the thyme into the Dutch oven, and stir in the bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and 6 cups broth. Crush the tomatoes through your hands into the pot. Return the chicken and sausage to the pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in some additional chicken stock to thin the sauce a bit, if desired.
• Stir in the vinegar, scallions, and parsley, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
• Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 3 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Put the rice in a medium saucepan with a cover. Stir in the water or broth, salt, and pepper. Smooth the rice to make an even surface, cover and heat over low to medium-low heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Yield: 4 servings

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Make the roux: Combine the flour and vegetable oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until dark brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Bring 10 quarts water to a boil in an extra-large, wide pot. Stir in the onion, bell peppers and roux and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 45 minutes. Add the blue crab and lobster tail and boil until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lobster tail and crab; discard the crab. Let the lobster cool slightly, then remove the meat from the shell and cut into small chunks; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Add the Creole seasoning to the pot and bring to a boil; cook until the liquid reduces by one-quarter, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook over medium heat until firm, about 20 minutes. Add the crabmeat and reserved lobster meat and cook 10 minutes. Stir in the scallions and parsley and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

VALERIE'S VERY BEST GUMBO

Steps:

• Warm 1 cup oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until hot. Add the flour to the pot all at once, whisking until the consistency is uniform. Cook the roux, whisking occasionally, until it is the color of a tarnished penny, about 20 minutes. Do not let it darken any further. Carefully add the celery, bell peppers, onion, chopped scallions and garlic to the pot, working away from you as the hot roux may spatter. Stir with a wooden spoon until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables, about 1 quart, and stir to combine. The roux may separate. Add the tomatoes with their juices, andouille and smoked sausages, cayenne, bay leaves, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper and the remaining stock, about 1 more quart. Partially cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the okra and cook, stirring, until the gel dries out slightly, about 3 minutes. Add to the Dutch oven.
• Taste the gumbo for seasoning and adjust as desired. Add the chicken, cook until warmed through and serve, or simmer up to 2 hours more to concentrate the flavors, adding the chicken 20 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with the reserved sliced scallions and serve over rice. Serve with hot sauce and file powder if using.

SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.
• While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.
• Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.

CHICKEN AND SMOKED SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine the oil and flour in a large cast iron or enameled cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves. Continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Stir until the roux mixture and water are well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
• Season the chicken with the rub and add to the pot. Simmer for 2 hours. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, green onions, and file powder. Remove the bay leaves and serve in deep bowls.
• Combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.