I made some gumbo the other day for a family gathering--the first time I made it with a roux!
When I made gumbo and blogged about it last year, I thickened it with okra and received a comment to try thickening it with okra and a roux and gumbo file--the commenter said he thought I'd like it. That comment stayed in my mind and, while other things fly right out of mind, this comment stayed. I remembered it when my daughter sent me a recipe from Cook's Country magazine, instructions on cooking the roux for gumbo in the oven, and a photo of the gumbo she made--I was inspired and had to try it myself!
My other gumbo tastes a lot lighter, since it doesn't have any flour in the broth--this one is richer--it's more like gravy.
Easy Oven Roux Gumbo
adapted from Cook's Country magazine
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped celery
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14 oz.) canned diced tomatoes
about 28 oz. lower sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sake
about 2 pounds cut up chicken thighs or breasts, seasoned with Cajun seasoning
6 - 8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
1 (20 oz.) bag frozen, cut okra or 3-4 cups fresh cut
2 pounds peeled & deveined raw shrimp
1 small can crab meat
Preheat oven to 350ºF with the oven rack at lowest level. In a Dutch oven, add 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and heat over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour just begins to brown.
Add 1/2 cup oil and whisk until smooth.
Cover the Dutch oven and put into the oven for 45 minutes. Look at how nice and brown the flour is after 45 minutes in the oven--and it smells so good as it's baking.
While the roux is in the oven, prepare other ingredients.
There are two bags of okra here, but I just used one.
Chop the onion, celery and bell pepper as well as the garlic.
When the roux comes out of the oven and you're ready to cook the gumbo, heat the roux over medium-high heat and add the vegetables.
A wooden spoon works the best to saute the vegetables in the roux, cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and wilted. Add 1 teaspoon minced thyme and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Cook for about 1 minute more.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and sake, combining them well until smooth. Then add the chicken pieces sprinkled with Cajun seasoning.
I like this Cajun Creole Seasoning because it's salt free. Here are the ingredients in order so you can formulate your own: paprika, onion, garlic, black pepper, lemon peel, chile, allspice, thyme, cloves, mace, cayenne, bay leaf.
The market didn't have any fresh okra, so I bought frozen and used the whole bag.
Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook about for about 20 minutes.
Stir in seasoned shrimp and sliced sausage. Cook gently until shrimp are curled and just cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the canned crab and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The next time I make this I'm going to try adding gumbo file too.
Garnish with a scoop of rice and a sprinkling of jalapeno peppers if you like it spicy.
Itadakimasu!
***
My husband's cousins had their get-together this month with a Cajun theme.
Jessica came over and we cooked the gumbo together.
Dean stopped by one of the local crab places and brought an array of seasoned, boiled seafood.
Erik and I were busy taking photos of all the food. Erik is very artistic--I love looking at his photos. He and Claire shared a photo book they made of their trip to Paris!
Cajun style fried shrimp--I'm sorry, I've forgotten who made these. (Taeko, did you make these?) GREAT idea to put them on a bed of green beans!
Mako's generally the organizer of the get-togethers--here he is with his three boys, Chad, Garret and Dean, from last year's holiday card. I just love the little snippets of their lives that I get to know at the parties. They are so friendly and so nice to visit with me a little at each family gathering.
It doesn't seem that long ago that the boys were little.
Look what Mako made! Collard greens with ham. It may have been my favorite food of the evening.
These caprese cherry cherry tomatoes were delicious--the tomatoes were cut in half, with a small square of mozzarella cheese in the middle, secured with a toothpick, perfect for the buffet. Dressed with a little salt & pepper and light dressing. If I remember correctly, Lena made these. Yum!
Meg & Ken.
Meg's most often our hostess. I absolutely love these family gatherings. They remind me of getting together with my cousins at Bachan's house when I was little.
This is Auntie Tsuyuki saying "Itadakimasu" before eating.
She's the matriarch at 95.
Jessica loves babies and they love her.
Almost a year ago, we welcomed a new little one into our family--here he is with his mother, Maria. He's got a bunch of new teeth and already knows to smile for the camera!
***
Easy Oven Roux Gumbo
adapted from Cook's Country magazine
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped celery
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14 oz.) canned diced tomatoes
about 28 oz. lower sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sake
about 2 pounds cut up chicken thighs or breasts, seasoned with Cajun seasoning
6 - 8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
1 (20 oz.) bag frozen, cut okra or 3-4 cups fresh cut
2 pounds peeled & deveined raw shrimp
1 small can crab meat
Preheat oven to 350ºF with the oven rack at lowest level. In a Dutch oven, add 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and heat over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour just begins to brown. Add 1/2 cup oil and whisk until smooth. Cover the Dutch oven and put into the oven for 45 minutes.
On the stove, heat the roux over medium-high heat and add the vegetables. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and wilted. Add 1 teaspoon minced thyme and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Cook for about 1 minute more.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and sake, combining them well until smooth. Then add the chicken pieces sprinkled with Cajun seasoning. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook about for about 20 minutes. Stir in seasoned shrimp and sliced sausage. Cook gently until shrimp are curled and just cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the canned crab and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I've been craving clam chowder and bought a can of clams and some clam juice, but it's been sitting in my pantry--waiting--until now. I made Spaghetti with Clams, Leeks and Garlic Chives for a birthday party the other day, so with a bundle of clams leftover from the party and the canned ones in the pantry comes a perfect time to make some clam chowder!
You don't have to use fresh clams, in fact, I kind of prefer the canned ones--not the baby clams, but the chopped ocean clams. I bought the canned clams at Smart & Final.
I made the chowder with the canned clams, cooked the fresh steamers separately and added them to the top of each bowl.
I bought the fresh clams at Costco. It was the first time the clams I got there were a little gritty--up until this time they were cleaned and didn't have sand in them. To clean the clams so they don't have sand inside them, put them in a bowl of 4 cups water with 2 tablespoons sea salt dissolved in it (the water line should be so the clams are covered with water halfway up their shell), in the refrigerator for several hours. The clams will siphon the water in but then spit it out along with the sand in their stomachs. Soak them in freshwater for about an hour before serving so they're not too salty.
Wash the leeks and chives well and slice thinly. The rest of the cooking instructions are in the recipe below.
Looking at the photos I took the last time I bought clams from Costco, the clams in the picture above are farmed Manila clams. The ones I used this time are not the same variety, they're white shelled, where the Manila clams are brown. I didn't notice what variety the ones I bought this time were (reinforces the fact that I should have taken photos!) or if they were wild (which would explain the sand).
Potato Leek Clam Chowder
This recipe makes a 7 quart pot of soup, which will serve about 10-12, so you may want to cut down the quantities.
Ingredients:
1-51 oz. can Chopped Ocean Clams
1-51 oz. can Clam Juice
2 leeks, cleaned thoroughly and sliced thinly
1/2 cup garlic chives, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups celery (be sure to include the leaves) chopped
1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped
4-6 medium sized potatoes, diced
2 cup chopped carrots
about 4 cups half-and-half or milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup flour
thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
generous pinch chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 4 - 5 pounds of fresh clams
If using fresh clams, clean by soaking them in salty water for several hours so the clams spit out sand, then soak for an hour in fresh water. Drain and set aside.
In a large 7 quart pot, saute chopped leeks, garlic chives, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until soft and wilted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour on vegetables and mix well, with the flour absorbing any fats and liquid in the pot. Add the can of clam juice and juice from the canned clams, mixing well until evenly incorporated. Add water if necessary to make the vegetables/broth ratio how you like it--I added about 5-6 cups water and spices.
Simmer about 30 minutes on medium/low heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the canned clam pieces and the half-and-half or milk. Taste and adjust seasonings. To make the soup thicker, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Stirring constantly, add, a the cornstarch, a little at a time, to hot soup (just under boiling) until desired thickness. Reduce heat and hold until ready to serve.
To steam fresh clams, boil about a 1/2 inch of water in a large frying pan, place clams in the pan, put the lid on and steam for about 5 minutes or until clams are open.
Ladle hot soup into bowl and place steamed clams on top.
Itadakimasu!
***
I've been doing some knitting.
This little afghan is so simple to make, it only uses one stitch, garter stitch. You can use your leftover yarn or any collection of colors you like. I collected these colors for a little girl I have in mind and I wanted the blanket to look like a spring garden.
I'm using a 10.5 US gauge knitting needle, but I think it could stand to be a bit bigger since the afghan is a little on the thicker/heavy side, so a 13 or 15 might be better and make the blanket more airy.
I cast on 100 stitches in the green, knit 6 rows to make an end border, change to a different yarn and knit 2 rows, change back to green and knit 3 rows. I'm using an odd number of rows between yarn changes so either side can be the right side. Repeat until you've reached desired length and knit 6 rows of green for an ending border. To finish, I'm going to make a fringe on the ends with matching yarns.
Some people might say this dish should be called fish stew.
I had always thought bouillabaisse was a peasant dish that fishing families made with the bounty of their catch and there were as many variations as there were families and types of fish.
I have learned that there are those out there that are a little fussy about what qualifies as bouillabaisse--especially since I am not using *gasp* white fish.
"When looking for a Bouillabaisse recipe in US, you’ll quickly learn that there is a Bouillabaisse police. If they could give out violation tickets for using the name of this holy soup in vain, they would. You used mussels in your broth – $50! You didn’t fly in the appropriate varieties of fish from the Mediterranean -- $100! ...Don’t even get me started on what makes authentic Bouillabaisse – I don’t care."
I don't have a set recipe, I don't know (or, like Helen, particularly care) what is authentic--I generally use whatever I feel like putting in it, or what is available.
In any and all ways, bouillabaisse is a favorite at our house.
At one time, it was our go-to dish for special occasions--and we had it with our extended family every Christmas day.
Now we have shabu-shabu for special occasions, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy this dish.
I'll have to make it more often and be sure to invite my friends that love it--the more people you have, the bigger the pot and the more kinds of seafood you can have!
The key to making good bouillabaisse is to make it with seafood you like.
I don't care for mussels, so I don't add them--but I have friends that love them and say they are a must--so use what you like.
Traditionally, the fish used is a white fish, but my family loves salmon and I've been using salmon for the last few years with rave results.
Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook
Ingredients:
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 large leek, rinsed thoroughly and chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups canned tomato puree
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 bay leaves
4-6 cups water or stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3 to 6 tablespoons butter mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 heaping teaspoon saffron threads
an assortment of fish such as:
cherrystone or manila clams, scrubbed
raw shrimp
crab
fish--sea bass, snapper, cod or salmon
scallops
lobster
Saute the chopped leek, onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until soft and lightly colored.
Add the canned tomato puree and fresh chopped tomatoes along with the wine, and bay leaves.
Then I zipped about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves off the stems and added them to the pot.
Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Then add the chopped parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Taste the broth.
I added a tablespoon of brown sugar and some water to balance the flavors.
Balance the flavors according to your tastes.
Turn heat to low or turn the heat off until just before you're ready to serve.
Scrub the outside of the clams with a vegetable brush.
This is a picture of Warren, me and Gordon fishing in the Sierras when we were little.
We must be attempting to show off a fish we've caught.
I'm sure we couldn't have been fighting.
If we were fighting, I would have been mad.
Warren's my buddy.
He's smart and has a lot of talents.
Warren is a mountain biker.
That's their dog, Lucy.
Warren's also what I'd call a Foodie.
He knows what's good and is always going out to restaurants to try different things.
Warren loves fishing.
For a while, he fished in the bass circuit.
He's good at trout fishing, too.
He knows where all the big fish are in Gull Lake and Crowley Lake in the Eastern Sierras.
He grew his hair out for several years.
But got it cut recently for his son's wedding.
He looked nice.
And 20 years younger with short hair.
He recently went deep sea fishing for three days and won the jackpot fish each day.
He's really good at fishing.
***
Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook
Ingredients:
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 large leek, rinsed thoroughly and chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups canned tomato puree
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 bay leaves
4-6 cups water or stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3 to 6 tablespoons butter mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 heaping teaspoon saffron threads
an assortment of fish such as:
cherrystone or manila clams, scrubbed
raw shrimp, shells removed
crab, shells cracked & broken apart
fish--sea bass, snapper, cod or salmon--cleaned and cut bite-sized
scallops
lobster, cut into pieces
Prepare seafood and set aside.
Saute the vegetables and garlic in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, about 30 minutes.
Add the tomato puree, fresh chopped tomatoes, wine, bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust seasonings, adding 1 tablespoon brown sugar and water if necessary.
Mix 3-6 tablespoons of softened butter (depending on how rich you like it) with 1 tablespoon flour into a smooth paste.
Whisk into simmering soup and add a heaping teaspoon of saffron threads.
Add the seafood and gently cook for about 5 minutes or until the clams have opened, the fish is firm and the shrimp is pink and curled. Do not overcook. Garnish with basil, parsley or chives.
Ladle into warm bowl and serve with a green salad, hot rice or bread.
Print This Recipe
