Tony Garniers Gumbo Recipes

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

TONY GARNIER'S GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season duck with salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste. Place in a deep roasting pan, and roast until the meat releases most of the fat, about an hour. Reserve the duck meat (cool, cover, and refrigerate) and allow the pan juices to settle. Carefully pour 1 1/2 cups clear duck fat from the pan into a large measuring cup. If there is less than a cup of duck fat, add enough vegetable oil to make 1 cup. Discard fat and juices remaining in pan. Duck meat and fat may be prepared a day ahead, and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Prepare a roux: In a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the duck fat. Slowly add flour, stirring constantly. After about 10 minutes, mixture will have the consistency of thick gravy. If it is too thick, add a small amount of vegetable oil. Continue to stir, adjusting heat (or removing pan from stove, if necessary) to prevent flour from burning. Continue to stir constantly as the mixture gradually darkens to the color of milk chocolate, about 30 minutes. Remove from flame, and let mixture settle for about 10 minutes. Pour off and discard oil that has separated from roux. Roux may be prepared a day ahead, and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Place pan with roux over medium heat. Add onions, celery, 1 tablespoon garlic, and half the bell pepper. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add okra. Cook, stirring, an additional 15 minutes.
• In a large stockpot, bring chicken or vegetable stock to a full boil. Pour about 4 cups of stock into roux mixture, and stir well. Pour all of roux mixture into stockpot. Bring to a boil, and add celery salt, cloves, allspice, bay leaves and Worcestershire. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add duck to stockpot, and return to a simmer.
• Slice sausage into rounds. In a small skillet over medium heat, brown sausage until the fat is cooked out. Remove sausage from fat, and add to stockpot. Continue simmering for an additional 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Place in a roasting pan, and bake until juices run clear when meat is pierced, about 40 minutes. Add chicken to stockpot. Simmer an additional 45 minutes.
• About 15 minutes before serving time, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, remaining garlic, remaining bell peppers and shrimp. Saute briefly, about 2 minutes. Add to stockpot. Add scallions and parsley, and adjust seasonings if necessary. To serve, ladle over bowls of rice. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon file powder in each bowl, and stir. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook in batches for about 5 mins to brown all over. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the onion, green pepper and celery to the pan, put on the lid and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally until softened a little. Stir in the garlic, spices, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan with the flour, stirring to coat everything. Pour in the tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil, cook for 5 mins, then add the okra and half the sage. Turn down to a simmer, put on the lid and cook for 10 mins. Then season and serve, scattering the rest of the sage over.