Gumbo (Louisiana)

This rich, savoury stew can be prepared as thin as soup or as thick as stew, and it is typically served over rice and enjoyed as a main course. At its most basic, gumbo is made with a variety of meats or shellfish combined with various vegetables and herbs. Often cited as the perfect example of Louisiana cuisine, gumbo represents three different cultures coming together in a single pot - West African, Native American, and European, although speculation still remains as to the origins and evolution of the dish. The name is derived from the word for okra in a West African language, while the use of dried and ground sassafras leaves called filé was a contribution of the Choctaw Indians and possibly other local tribes. The roux has its origin in French cuisine, although the one used in gumbo is much darker than its European counterpart. Traditionally, gumbos have been divided into two categories - those thickened with okra and those thickened with filé, although many chefs consider the brown roux the only true thickener for a proper gumbo.

First gumbo recipes that appeared at the turn of the 19th century, including the ones from the acclaimed Lafcadio Hearn's 1885 La Cuisine Creole, were made with a variety of ingredients such as chicken, ham, bacon, seafood, and beef. However, by 1901 and the Picayune's Creole Cookbook gumbo became even more complex, including a number of additional ingredients like greens, cabbage, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, and many more. Today, if you'd like to sample all the variety gumbo can offer, head to New Iberia, where the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff is held every October.

2½ lbs fresh shrimp, heads-on
½ chicken
6 live crabs
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
1½ large onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 scallions with tops, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup celery, chopped
1½ lb fresh okra, chopped
¼ lb country ham, diced
2 strips bacon
½ lb stewing beef
2 dozen oysters and their liquor
1 small ham bone
2 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. dried thyme
1pinch ground cayenne
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
3 qts stock or water
2 Tbsp. sea salt

Start by boiling shrimp in salted water for five minutes after which drain, peel and devein the shrimp. Set aside the shrimp and shrimp water for later. Crush the shrimp heads and shells in a pot, transfer to shrimp water and boil at a full rolling boil for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid and set aside.

Cook the chicken by boiling it in salted water, then remove and dice the skin, and also, remove the meat from the bones.

Using flour and oil make a dark roux in a big skillet and proceed by sautéing the onions, green peppers, scallions, garlic and celery until soft and translucent. Next, add the okra and cook until it softens.

Transfer the mixture into a large stew pot to which you add all the previously prepared: shrimp water, chicken stock, chicken meat and skin. While you're doing this the heat under the pot should not be on.

Fry the bacon and the diced country ham in a clean skillet until browned. Drain and crumble the bacon, then together with ham add to the stew pot.

Season the flour with spices, namely salt, pepper, paprika, basil, thyme, and parsley and coat the beef meat. Sauté the meat in bacon grease until all sides are browned and add to the stew pot.

Place the washed live crabs in a pot, cover them with boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. When cooked, transfer the crab water to the stew pot, as well as the large claws that you've broken off. Add as well the crab fat that you've scraped from the outer shell and proceed by removing the dead man's fingers, small claws and apron.

Crush the crab shells and boil them in water for 15 minutes, strain, then add to the stew pot. Halve the remaining crabs by breaking them and together with oyster liquid add to the stew pot.

Finish by adding tomatoes, ham bone, and all the seasonings. If the liquid is not about two" over all the ingredients, add more, be it chicken stock, shrimp stock, oyster liquor, crab stock or just water.

Now turn the heat on the stove and let it simmer for 1½-2 hours while occasionally stirring. Ten minutes before serving add the oysters and shrimp, taste and add salt if needed. Serve over a bowl of rice.

Makes 12 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• METHOD: There are as many methods and recipes for gumbo, as there are people in Louisiana. There is no one fixed recipe because nearly anything goes. Although gumbos can be classified based on what kind of thickener they use, filé or okra, often recipes will use both. To extract as much flavour as possible, meats and seafood are usually first used to make a stock which is later used for making gumbo, while sausage and dried meats are typically sautéed first, and then added to the gumbo.
• OKRA AND FILÉ: Okra, although traditional, has a bad rap because of its slimy texture, which is the reason why it's often avoided. However, there are ways of going around it if you're not a fan. Use smaller, fresh pods of okra, which should be thoroughly dried before use, and roast them at a high temperature, then add them to the pot in which you're making gumbo. You can find okra in Indian goods stores, or online, while filé powder, if you're not living in North America, can usually only be ordered online.
• ROUX: The base of every gumbo, roux is made with equal parts of flour and fat, usually vegetable oil, but other fats as well. To prepare, the flour is whisked into the preheated oil and then mixed constantly over medium heat for about 20 minutes until it has a rich, brown, chocolatey colour. Constant stirring is essential because it prevents the flour from sticking to the bottom and burning, In case you do burn you roux, toss it, and start over. Once the roux is done, vegetables like onions and bell peppers are usually added and sautéed. However, do not add garlic at this point as the hotness of the roux will burn it.