Fiery Seafood Gumbo

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A gumbo is a Cajun soup that has a roux as a base and uses file (sassafras leaves) and/or okra as a thickening agent. This dish probably has African origins, as the Bantu word for okra is gumbo! Often served as a main dish, this “soup” may contain chicken, meat, or ham in addition to vegetables, tomatoes, and spices. Serve with potato salad, sourdough bread and blackbottom pie for dessert. Note: Gumbo can be prepared ahead of time. Prepare the gumbo up to the point to where the fish is added. Refrigerate until ready to heat and serve.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound raw shrimp

  • 1 quart chicken stock

  • 1/2 cup bacon drippings or vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup flour

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 pound okra, cut crosswise into rounds

  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon crushed dried red chile, seeds included

  • 2 teaspoons ground Cayenne

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped

  • 2 bay leaves, crumbled

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano

  • 1/2 pound fish fillets, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

  • 1/2 pound lump crabmeat

  • 3 cups cooked rice

  • Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Poach the shrimp in the chicken stock until they turn pink, about 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp, save the broth, and shell and devein the shrimp. Keep the shrimp cool until ready to add back into the gumbo.

Melt the bacon drippings and stir in the flour. Heat the roux, stirring constantly, until it is a very dark brown color, being careful that it does not burn. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and continue to heat for a couple of minutes to soften the vegetables. Remove from the heat so that the roux does not continue to brown.

Heat the okra and vinegar in the remaining vegetable oil, for 20 minutes or until the okra is no longer stringy, stirring occasionally.

Reheat the broth to boiling and slowly stir the roux mixture into the liquid. Add the chile, cayenne, okra, tomato, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano. Then reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of hours until thick.

Add the fish and crabmeat and heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the shrimp. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes before serving.

To Serve: Place some of the cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl, pour the gumbo over the top, and garnish with the parsley.

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

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Here is your basic Cajun side dish, elevated to entree status with the addition of the sausage. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried red beans, not kidney beans, sorted and rinsed

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if using a fatty sausage, render some of the fat from the meat)

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 stalk celery, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 pound tasso, andouille, or other sausage, such as garlic sausage, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cayenne

  • 8 to 10 cups water

  • 4 to 5 cups cooked white rice

  • Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Cover the beans with water and let stand overnight.

Heat the oil in a large pot. Saute the onion, garlic, and celery in the oil until soft. Add the beans, parsley, bay leaf, tasso, cayenne, and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the beans are soft, about 1 to 2 hours.

As it cooks, the beans may start to get creamy. If the beans get soft and the broth is still thin, take a few beans, put them in a sieve, and mash through with a wooden spoon.

Serve over the rice and garnished with plenty of chopped parsley.

Quesadillas w/ Roasted Corn and Turtle Bean Salsa

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These quesadillas can be served as an hors d’oeuvre or as a luncheon entree. They are much tastier and prettier than a plain grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients

For the Quesadilla:

•   6 8-inch flour tortillas
•    3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican Manchego cheese
•    1 ½ cups Roasted Corn and Turtle Bean Salsa

For the Salsa:

•    2 ears fresh corn or 3/4 cup whole kernel corn (canned or frozen)
•    ½ cup cooked Turtle (black) beans
•    1/4 cup diced red or green bell pepper
•    3 tablespoons finely minced red onion
•    2 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, diced
•    2 cloves garlic, finely minced
•    1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•    1/4 cup olive oil
•    2 tablespoons vinegar or lime juice
•    1 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican preferred
•    Salt to taste
 

Instructions

For the Quesadillas:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange 2 tortillas in a layer on a greased baking sheet. Top with ½ of the cheese and salsa. Top each with another tortilla and repeat with the cheese and salsa. Place the remaining tortillas on top and, if desired, sprinkle with a little more cheese.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the cheese begins to melt.

Cut the quesadillas in wedges and serve with additional salsa on the side.

 

For the Salsa:

Cut the corn off the cob (if using ears) and put the kernels in a hot, dry saucepan and roast for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so that they don’t burn.

Combine with the remaining ingredients and allow to sit for an hour to blend the flavors.

 

Empanaditas with Mango Banana Habanero Salsa

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Empanaditas are little fruit or meat filled pies. Just about any fruit salsa will work in this recipe, but I especially like the tropical ones. If you’re short on time, ready-made pie crusts can be used for the pastry.

Ingredients

For the Empanaditas:

•    1 recipe Mango Banana Habanero Salsa (see recipe below)
•    1 package active dry yeast
•    1 cup warm water
•    1/4 cup shortening
•    3 cups flour
•    1 teaspoon salt
•    1 egg, beaten

For the Salsa:


•    2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced
•    1 banana, diced
•    1/4 cup minced purple onion
•    1 habanero chile, stems removed, minced
•    1/4 cup orange juice
•    2 tablespoons lime juice
•    2 tablespoons olive oil
•    1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

 

Instructions

For the Empanaditas:

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.

Dissolve the yeast in the water.

Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. Add the yeast water and mix well. Do not let the dough rise.

Separate the egg and lightly beat the white. Beat the yolk with 1 tablespoon of water. Set them aside.

Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. If using a commercial pie crust, do not roll. Cut into circles 2 to 2 ½-inches in diameter. Place a spoonful of salsa off-center on a circle. Brush the edges of the circle with the egg white, fold over and crimp the edges to seal.

Brush the empanaditas with the egg yolk and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

For the Salsa:

Combine all the ingredients and allow to sit for an hour to blend the flavors.

 

Bequian Lamb Stew

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This recipe is quite popular in the Grenadines, where the population does not consider it particularly hot. But I say it creates enough heat to melt the polar icecap! Most people would use a maximum of 2 habaneros, so make adjustments according to your palate.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lamb cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 1 1/2 cups red wine

  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil

  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1/4 cup tomato paste

  • 4 red habanero chiles, stems and seeds removed, coarsely chopped

  • Salt to taste

    • Instructions

    Marinate the lamb in wine for 3 hours. Remove the lamb and reserve the wine.

    In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the lamb and saute until lightly browned on all sides. Add the garlic and onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Lower the heat and add the bay leaves, tomato paste, salt, wine, and the habaneros.

    Simmer until the lamb is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

    Serves: 4

    Heat Scale: Extremely Hot