I was lucky enough to spend the holidays in New Orleans, which meant a lot of good eating. Naturally, I gravitated to some of the classics: beignets at Café du Monde, shrimp étouffée, and lots of gumbo… or was it jambalaya? So, I’m asking Chef Jerry Pellegrino to help me sort out what I was enjoying so much.
These are both quintessential New Orleans dishes, made not only in every restaurant in town, but probably in every kitchen as well. As with so many things in NOLA, the recipes reflect the mixture of cultures and races in the region, and serve to preserve venerable traditions.
Gumbo is a stew made with meat, andouille sausage, and often seafood like shrimp or crawfish. It is cooked in deeply flavored broth that depends on the “holy trinity” of bell peppers, celery and onions. Variations come with the choice of thickening agent. Okra is chopped up and added to the broth, or “file” powder is used (pulverized dried sassafras leaves).
However, purists will use a rich dark brown roux (melted butter and flour cooked in a skillet) as the thickener. It should be slowly cooked for at least 3 hours, and tradition holds that you should always use a wooden spoon. (The internet is filled with custom designed gumbo spoons.) Ordinarily gumbo is served over a bed of rice. Basmati or jasmine rice are often used but the old school approach is to use long grain white Louisiana rice.
Jambalaya is essentially the same dish as gumbo, except that it is cooked with rice in the dish. Because the rice automatically thickens the stew, no okra, file or roux is needed. As one would expect, various private recipes for the two dishes vary considerably, but the basics are the same.
Here are two recipes Jerry found.
Cajun Gumbo
Ingredients
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 large onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3/4 cup vegetable oil or lard
3/4 cup flour
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 1/2 cups reserved shrimp stock
1-pound spicy sausage, removed from the casings
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 vegetables mixture and stir with a wooden spoon, continue 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 sausage, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Cooking the roux can be tricky. For safety 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.
Creole Jambalaya - you can add to or take away from. Let the seasonings be your guide and use your imagination!
Ingredients
1 onion (diced)
1/2 green bell pepper
/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper (for all bell peppers, cut small strips, then cut these in half)
10 small banana peppers (cut ends off)
1 whole garlic clove (diced)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
6 Polish sausages (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
15-20 jumbo whole shrimp
2 cans red beans
1 can corn niblets
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
Creole seasonings (to taste)
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 cup rice (uncooked)
Cooking Instructions
Start with heated oil. Add onion, garlic, and sausage. Sautee with sauces and spices.
Add all peppers.
Let simmer until onions and peppers soften.
Add tomatoes and 1-2 cans of water.
Let it come to a boil, then add beans, corn and parsley flakes.
Boil rapidly and flavor to taste.
When sausage rises to top, add shrimp and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Serve over rice and enjoy!
Creole Seasoning
Ingredients
cup paprika
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried basil
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon granulated onion
2 tablespoon granulated garlic
4 teaspoons dried thyme
In a medium bowl combine paprika, dried oregano, ground black pepper, dried basil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme, and granulated
garlic. Stir to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to three months.
