Best Low Country Gumbo Recipes

LOW COUNTRY GUMBO

Low Country Gumbo image

Gumbo came to the United States through West Africa, as part of the Atlantic slave trade. In fact, gumbo is a traditional African word for "okra." As the dish traveled through the South, it was influenced by each region. There's Creole gumbo, which is roux-based, and Cajun-style gumbo, which is made with tomatoes. This version is Creole, but try different kinds so you can see just how diverse the dish can be.

Provided by Sean Brock

Categories main-dish

Time 3h20m

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 31

Ingredients

2 cups diced yellow onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 cups andouille, removed from casings and crumbled
2 skin-on, boneless chicken breasts, cut into large dice
2 skin-on, boneless chicken thighs, cut into large dice
3 1/2 tablespoons Creole Spice Mix, recipe follows; may substitute store-bought
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup lard, divided
4 tablespoons minced garlic
3 quarts chicken stock
5 fresh bay leaves
3 tablespoons filé (ground sassafras)
2 tablespoons canola or other high-heat, neutral-tasting oil
1 pound whole okra
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce, to taste
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Cooked white rice
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper, may substitute Maras pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons smoked paprika, preferably Bourbon Barrel brand

Steps:

Prepare the vegetables. Remove sausage from the casings and crumble. Set aside.
Season the diced chicken with 3-4 tablespoons of Creole Spice Mix, either homemade or a high-quality store-bought mix. Dredge the chicken in ½ cup all-purpose flour.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat ½ cup of lard. When melted, add the andouille and slightly flatten to an even layer; brown on both sides, just cooking through. (Do not overstir, or meat will not sear.) Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon so oil remains in pan, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.Add the chicken to the hot pan. Allow the chicken to brown and cook through in two batches, being careful not to overstir, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside with the sausage.
Roux: Turn the heat to low. Scrape food bits from the bottom of pan (also known as "fond") so they are loose in the melted fat. Add the remaining ½ cup lard and allow it to melt. Dust in the remaining ¾ cup flour in several small additions, whisking constantly. Simmer on low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so roux does not stick, for 30-45 minutes, until the roux is the color of peanut butter.
Raise the heat slightly. When the roux has just begun to bubble, add the onions and stir well to coat them. Then add the celery and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to just soften. (The goal is to "stew," not sear.) Add the garlic. Slowly add the stock in several additions, stirring and scraping constantly to deglaze and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves and the filé, and stir. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until "nappe consistency"-thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the chicken and sausage pieces and simmer.
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet. Toss okra lightly in oil, then grill in the hot pan, stirring occasionally, until seared and aromatic. Remove, cool slightly, and chop into ½-inch pieces. Add to the pot and stir.
Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Season with hot sauce, lemon, and some of the spice mix to taste. Serve with rice.
Combine all the ingredients for the Creole Spice Mix in a bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside.

EMERIL'S COUNTRY FILE GUMBO

Emeril's Country File Gumbo image

Provided by Food Network

Categories main-dish

Time 2h

Yield 3 quarts

Number Of Ingredients 33

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Medium Dark Roux, see How To Roux, recipe follows
2 cups diced onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 quarts shrimp, crab or chicken stock
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds, browned in a skillet, and drained on paper towels
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds, browned in a skillet, and drained on paper towels
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1/3 cup green onion tops, chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup file powder, or to taste
Steamed White Rice, for serving
3 cups vegetable oil
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Steps:

Heat the roux in a medium-sized heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Stir mixture until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the browned sausage, bay leaves, Worcestershire, hot sauce, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Bring gumbo to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until gumbo is slightly reduced, about 50 minutes. (Gumbo should cook long enough for the roux flavor to mellow and for any floury taste to dissipate.)
Season the shrimp with the Essence in a small bowl. Stir in the seasoned shrimp, crabmeat, green onions, parsley, thyme and basil. Cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Sprinkle in file powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more, or pass file at the table for guests to thicken as desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Serve in warmed soup bowls over steamed white rice.
Place a heavy, iron Dutch oven, (or iron skillet with deep sides) over medium heat and heat the oil until just smoking. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly, until roux becomes smooth and thick. Continue to cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon and reaching all over bottom of pan, until roux darkens to desired color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. The roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specs appear you must start over.
For a Light Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the color of peanut butter. Remove about 1 cup of the light colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for the Delmonico's Seafood Okra Gumbo.
For a Medium Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the color of a copper penny when ready. Remove about 13/4 cups of the medium colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for Emeril's Country File Gumbo.
For a Dark Brown Roux, cook the mixture an additional 35 to 45 minutes. The color should resemble dark chocolate when ready. Remove all of the remaining dark roux from the pan and cool completely. Set aside for the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. (See Cook's Note)
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.