From: arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva)
Subject: Gumbo and Jambalaya
Status: O
Organization: Taronga Park BBS
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 15:14:40 CST
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.2 PL16]

Date:     Tue, 15 Dec 92 7:33:21 EST
From: V I C T O R <vvergara@PICA.ARMY.MIL>


Gumbo is a rich cajun soup, thickened either with a) okra, b) a roux,
or c) file' powder (ground sassafrass leaves).  Of course, these can be
combined.

Start with oil and flour (approx 2 Tbs each).  Heat the oil in the
bottom of your soup pot, then add the flour.  Stir the flour briskly
and brown the roux.  It's faster to do over high heat BUT it's easier
to mess it up.  Prudhomme has a section on making roux that discusses
this.   Be careful to not get any on you or you'll find out why it's
called "cajun napalm".  Take it off the heat if it gets too hot until
it cools down.

As soon as the roux is medium to dark brown (don't scorch the flour or
you'll need to start all over), throw in your diced onion, green
pepper, and celery (the sacred trinity in cajun cooking).  These should
stop the roux from cooking.  How much?  About an onion, a green pepper,
and two or three stalks of celery.  About two cups diced, combined.
Stir around.  The roux should have been smelling wonderful and once
these vegetables hit the roux the smell becomes almost unbearably
good.  Garlic, two cloves or so, minced, can go in now, too.  Let cook
till the vegetables get soft, a couple of minutes.  The heat can go to
medium now (you did the roux over high heat, being adventurous, didn't
you?).  You prepared a seasoning mix of thyme, oregano, basil, red
(cayenne) pepper, black pepper, and white pepper that can be thrown in
when the vegetables get soft.  About 2tsp to a 1Tbs each of the herbs,
1/4 to 1/2 tsp each of the peppers.  I sometimes add sage, omit the
oregano and basil, or otherwise play with the ingredients.  This is
also the time to add some fresh chopped parsley (all too often
neglected) and some chopped green onion.  Both are optional, both are
good.  When this hits the roux/vegetable mixture your nose will go into
complete ecstasy.  You should also add a Tbs of Worcestershire sauce
(sp?) and Tabasco to taste.  Thyme, Wor. sauce and Tabasco are the
other sacred trinity of cajun cooking.  

Break:  Gumbo can be based on any number of things.  Seafood is
classic, with shrimp, oysters, crab, or fish in any combination.
Chicken can also serve as a base.  Sausage is almost mandatory, if you
can't get andouille (I can't) then a good smoked sausage will do.  For
health reasons I've been using turkey sausage lately.  (Turkey) Ham can
go in.  I've even made a seven-steak gumbo (from Prudhomme, again).  If
you're gonna add chicken, you should have browned the diced chicken in
the oil, then removed it before you made the roux.  The diced chicken,
sausage, and/or ham should go in now.  The seafood goes in after the
stock.

Back to the gumbo, now that you've added any meat you want, you should
let it get warm and lightly browned in the roux mixture, then it's time
to add the stock.  If this is a seafood gumbo, you should use a seafood
stock.  If you've crab, shrimp, or fish to add, the shells and/or bones
should have been used to make a rich stock earlier.  I'm talking a
redolent, aromatic blend of celery tops, onion parts, bay leaf, etc
simmered in water and the fish parts for at least an hour, then
strained.  Oyster liquor is added if available.  You'll want like four
cups or so.  If you're using sausage, ham, and/or chicken, the bones of
the chicken that you diced should have been subjected to the same
procedure to make a stock.  The richer, the better.  You can always use
some beer or wine to add more flavor.  Avoid, if at all possible, the
store bought stock.

Anyways, add the four cups of stock.  Or, if you want, make the
roux/vegetable mixture in a skillet and add to the already heated stock
in the soup pot.  Now, if you've got them, add shrimp, crab, fish,
oysters, clams, whatever.  Simmer for an hour or so.  Serve some rice
in a bowl, ladle gumbo over it.  Voila'.  You can sprinkle file' powder
over as a seasoning, to taste.


SEAFOOD JAMBALAYA

 Ingredients
 -----------
2 1/2 tablespoons chicken fat, pork lard, beef fat or butter
2/3 cup chopped tasso (preferred) or other smoked ham (preferably
    Cure 81)
1/2 cup chopped andouille smoked sausage (preferred) or any other 
    good pork sausage such as Polish sausage (kielbasa)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green Bell peppers
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun Magic Seafood Magic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes (about 4 medium size)
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups Basic Seafood Stock
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups uncooked rice (preferably converted)
1 pound peeled crabmeat, crawfish or firm-fleshed fish fillets
  (cut into bite-sized pieces), or any combination of these that
  equals one pound
1 1/2 dozen oysters in their liquor (medium size oysters)
1 1/2 dozen peeled medium shrimp (about 1/2 pound)


Melt the chicken fat in a two quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the
tasso and andouille and saute until crisp, about five to eight minutes,
stirring frequently.  Add the onions, celery, and Bell peppers; saute
until tender but still firm, about five minutes, stirring occasionally
and scraping the pan bottom well.  Add the bay leaves, Cajun Magic
Seafood Magic and garlic; cook about three minutes, stirring constantly
and scraping the pan bottom as needed.  Add the tomatoes and cook about
seven minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the tomato sauce; cook about
seven minutes more, stirring fairly often.  Stir in the stock and bring
to a boil.  Then stir in the green onions and cook about two minutes,
stirring once or twice.  Add the rice, crabmeat, crawfish, and/or fish
and the oysters and shrimp; stir well and remove from heat.  Transfer
mixture to an ungreased 13 X 9 inch baking dish/pan.  Cover dish/pan
snugly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F until rice is
tender but still crunchy, about twenty or thirty minutes.  Remove from
oven.  If you still have liquid in the dish/pan bottom, let sit for a
few minutes, still covered, to allow rice to absorb the liquid.  Remove
bay leaves and serve immediately.  To serve, mold rice in an eight
ounce cup and place two cups on each serving plate as main course or
one cup as an appetizer.


BASIC SEAFOOD STOCK

About 2 quarts cold water
1 1/2 to 2 pounds rinsed shrimp heads and/or shells, crawfish heads
           and/or shells or crab shells (ten to twelve cups), rinsed
           fish carcasses (heads and gills removed), or any combination
           of these.
1 medium onion, unpeeled and quartered
1 rib celery
1 large clove garlic, unpeeled and quartered

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over
high heat; reduce heat and simmer gently at least four hours,
preferably eight, replenishing water as needed to keep about one quart
of liquid in the pan.  Strain, cool and refrigerate until ready to
use.  Makes one quart.



Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 09:17:21 EST
From: "Dave Record, Mgr, Distributed Computing Services"
      <record@nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com>

LKEYS@bupula.bu.edu requested recipes for Gumbo and Jambalaya.  
I am sending him a copy of these.  Here they are for anyone on
the Net that might like to have them.  Enjoy!

                            Dave Record
                            record@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com

GUMBO 
 
Makes 6 to 8 servings
 
 
1/4 lb bacon, cut in 1-in. squares
2 lb okra, cut in 1/2-in. pieces
2 medium onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-lb) can whole tomatoes
4 C boiling water 
2 bouillon cubes
3 T flour
1 C cold water
Salt, pepper
1 1/2 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in 1-in. pieces
Hot cooked rice

Fry bacon until crisp in large kettle. Reserve bacon drippings. Saute okra in
half of reserved drippings, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Place
okra in kettle with bacon. Add remaining drippings to skillet and
saute onions and celery until onions are tender but not browned. Add
garlic, mix well, then add half of tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally,
until tomatoes darken in color somewhat. Add remaining half tomatoes
and simmer 5 minutes. Pour into kettle with okra. Add 1 cup boiling water and
mix well. Add second cup of boiling water and 1 bouillon cube. Stir over
medium heat until gumbo comes to boil. Add third cup of boiling water and
remaining bouillon cube, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add last cup
boiling water and cook 10 minutes. Blend flour with cold water until
smooth. Add to boiling gumbo and let come to boil again, stirring
constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and simmer 5
minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving or refrigerate overnight and
reheat. Serve hot gumbo over hot rice in soup plates. 
 
SEAFOOD GUMBO
 
Makes 6 to 8 Servings
 
Gumbo is one of those dishes which don't really suffer if an ingredient
is added or subtracted--so feel free to modify. This specifies andouille
(Cajun) sausage, but you could substitute kielbasa or even pepperoni.

8 oz andouille sausage, sliced 1-in thick
1/3 C olive oil
1 lb okra, stems removed
2 C diced onion
2 C chopped green pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 C chicken stock
3 C peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 bay leaf
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 oz sea scallops
1 lb lump crab meat, cartilage removed
2 T chopped parsley 

IN A LARGE POT, saute the sausage until well-browned. Remove from the
pot. Add half the oil to the pot and add the okra. Cook until soft, about
15 minutes. Add the rest of the oil, the onion, green pepper and garlic,
and cook 10 minutes more. Add the stock, tomato and spices. Simmer
uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and scallops and simmer for 5
minutes. Add the crab meat and parsley, simmer 2-to-3 minutes and serve.
 
SHRIMP JAMBALAYA
 
Makes 6 to 8 Servings
 
The Cajun-Creole classic, jambalaya, is believed to be derived from the
French (jambon) or Spanish (jamon) word for ham. Serve this hot with
chunks of crusty garlic bread and a tossed salad.

1 C coarsely chopped yellow onion
2 med cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 C coarsely chopped sweet green pepper
3/4 C finely diced celery
4 T bacon drippings
3 T minced parsley
6 oz smoked ham, cut in 3/8-in cubes
1 lge bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 t crumbled leaf thyme
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t salt (or to taste)
1 (1 lb, 14-oz) can tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 3/4 C cold water
1 3/4 C uncooked converted rice
1 1/2 lb med raw, shelled, deveined shrimp 
         (fresh or, if unavailable, frozen)
                                      
                                   
SET A LARGE KETTLE (not made of iron) over moderate heat. Saute the onion,
garlic, green pepper and celery in the bacon drippings for 8 to 10 minutes
until they are limp and golden. Add the parsley, ham cubes, bay leaf,
thyme and cayenne pepper. Saute, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the salt, tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce and water. Simmer
the kettle, uncovered, for 5 minutes, breaking up any large clumps of
tomatoes. Adjust the burner heat so that the mixture simmers gently. Stir
in the rice, cover the kettle, and boil the rice for 40 minutes. Add the 
shrimp, tossing the mixture lightly to distribute them evenly. Cover the
kettle and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until the shrimp are cooked
through, the rice is done, and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.
Taste the jambalaya and add the cayenne pepper and salt, if needed.   

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