Where you at??? Gumbo time!

On Fat Tuesday, how do we not explore the wonder and glory which is gumbo. Whether you are Cajun or Creole (and yes there is a difference) surely you can agree how amazing gumbo can be. That being said, gumbo is as personal to those who make it as "gravy" is to Italians...yes that personal. And it's in that personalization of the gumbo that makes it so wondrous. Created in Louisiana in the early 1800's gumbo is a mix of 5 culinary cuisines. And there are literally thousand of different ways to make this. Why? Well basically after you make a roux (which we'll get into) the only other must have ingredient is okra (or file powder) though I don't use either. After that....it's anything goes...well almost. OK enough of the history lesson, time to get to it. Let's prep....

First and foremost..The Roux.

This is the hardest part. Once your passed this, you're on Bourbon St. (Couldn't say Easy St. on Fat Tuesday) What you will need. Equal parts fat and flour. In this case butter and flour. 1/2 cup each (That's a whole stick of butter...unsalted always please). Over a medium heat melt the butter. Once melted, slowly stir in the flour. Stir until a nice dark brown (Darker = Deeper flavors). Immediately remove from heat and let cool. TPC NOTE: Roux is going to take a long time of constant stirring, so set aside a good 20 - 30 minutes, because if this burns even a little bit you will need to start over...ugh.....oh btw....you can also buy Roux in a jar these days, but what fun is that!

Here's what you need:

1 Onion chopped or sliced (I like a big chop , not little it gives a great rustic look)
8 Cloves Garlic chopped
1 Bell Pepper Seeded and Chopped (I sometimes go 1-2 to Jalapenos instead...yeah)
1/2 bunch Parsley (Now when I say parsley I ALWAYS mean Italian, the other is...blech)
3 Celery Stalks chopped
1 bunch Scallions chopped (Tops are best here)
Salt, FG Pepper, Cayenne Powder, Bay leave, Paprika, Sage...All to taste. Tobasco? Sure why not,but don't let it overpower the gumbo
2 lbs Andouille Sausage
4 Chicken Breasts skin removed
About 2 gallons of water (sounds more than it is, this should serve 6-8)
4 Tbsp of your tasty Roux

In a large pan brown the Andouille and set aside. Then in the same pan brown the chicken and set aside. Don't be afraid to mix the flavors here and the browning of the meat adds a nice depth. You can also skip this part and add the meats directly into the gumbo without browning them, but I like the extra depth of flavor.

In a VERY large pot add a few quarts of the water and boil. Add the roux and stir. Once it's all mixed well add the rest of the water and bring to a boil again. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the Parsley and Scallions. Add your spices to personal taste here as well (taste, taste, taste!). Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer for about 45 minutes or until everything is nice and tender.

Right before serving add the Parsley and Scallions....and if you're really crazy....add some shrimp! 5 minutes should do then kill the heat.

Serve in a bowl with crusty bread....or over rice...with crusty bread.

WINE NOTE: I'd serve with really cold beer....BUT you can use a Cab or a Zin here and be VERY happy. Want to go nuts? Pour with some bubbly.....just try it.

Until we do this again...

Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!!

Enjoy, have fun....and eat well!

TPC

Mussels...

Spring is fast approaching and peoples thoughts turn to getting in shape and building those muscles....well despite that I am a loyal P90X guy and certainly try to keep in my best shape, my thoughts today are to a different type of muscles....the mussel. (Hey you come up with a daily segue!)

Let's talk about mussels for a bit. Now don't be intimated here. Mussels are surprisingly simple to make, relatively inexpensive and once you get down the basic premise of the preparation of this tasty little mollusk, the variations you can make are endless. I'm telling you once I'm done with you here today you will be Master of Mussels. It's almost as easy as 1,2,3. In fact that's how I'll divide this up...

Step 1: Mussel Selection and Prep These days you can really get good fresh mussels year round (in the US). Most large supermarkets have them in their seafood section And once again if you have a local fish monger, please please please, get to know them and you will reap the rewards. I like to tap the bag and make sure those guys are still alive and kicking. They should close up when you tap them.

TPC NOTE: If they are not closing up they are probably dead and I'd stay away from them. Seafood poising is probably one of the worst tings in life you can go through.

Once home, rinse and debeard (they probably won't need to be scrubbed if from the market). Discard any that stay open. Place them in a large bowl and cover with a damp towel. They will keep for 2-3 days....but really? How are you going to wait that long? Exactly.

Step 2: Base Prep

OK here is the fun part where you can really get creative. You'll find a lot of recipes out there for garlic and white wine....can't go wrong there.

Here's where you'll add some onion (Red, yellow, shallots etc) to a butter or olive oil (or better yet a little of each!). Cook down until they are softened. Throw in 2-3 cloves chopped garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Some preferred herbs (Parsley (about 1/2 cup) and thyme (1/2 -1 tsp) are very popular here but try other things like basil, red pepper flakes, etc). Add 1-2 cups of "drinkable" white wine....bring to a boil and move to step 3.

Step 3: Add the Mussels

Once you've got a nice boil, add the mussels and cover. This should only take about 3 minutes tops. Give it a quick spoon toss and you're ready to serve. You can pour in bowls with liquid along with some toasted bread (which I love to rub with fresh garlic) or in a big bowl family style with side plates. Also fun. And if more people show up than you expected. No problem. Simply put the mussels in a side bowl pour a pound of (almost al dente pasta) in the pot. Cook to al dente. Throw the mussels back in. Bowl them up and throw some fresh parsley on top (a lil parm? ok) and you're still the hero.

Here I did Mussels with Chorizo and Jalapeno. This is wonderful heat and all you want to do is mop it up with some bread..In Step 2 here I did:
Cook the 3-4 chorizo links until brown over med-high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels on plate. Leave a some of the chorizo fat in the fan (eyeball 1 tbsp) the pan. Add 2-3 tbsp butter and melt, add the 1 onion sliced, 1-2 Jalapeno Peppers sliced crosswise. Cook down until the vegetables are soft. Add 1 can plum tomatoes (break them up by hand as you put them in) and cook, another 2 minute. Add two healthy splashes of white wine and cook another few minutes as it reduces. GO TO STEP 3. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro (or parsley if you don't like cilantro) and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.....and of course the bread.

WINE NOTE: Of course you can served with whatever white wine you used to cook with, but don't hesitate to throw a nice Zinfandel in there as well. Never a bad choice for a spicy little dish.

You have a good basis to start playing. Go online, look some up! There's beers and creams and all sorts of herbs and spices you can add.

As always just enjoy, have fun...and eat well!

TPC