Gumbo Base
Recipe: Gumbo Base
From: Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread: A Country Inn Cookbook, by Crescent Dragonwagon
Makes: 5-6 quarts base, serves 24+ once finished
Roux:
1 c. vegetable oil (e.g. canola or peanut)
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
Vegetable Sauté:
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 bunch celery (including leaves), chopped
1 large bunch (8-10 large) green onions, chopped
Seasoning Pureé:
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 c. Worcestershire or Pickapeppa sauce
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
6 to 8 good grinds black pepper
1 can (16 oz.) whole tomatoes, juice reserved, coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh flat-leaved parsley, leaves and stems, rinsed and coarsely chopped
Stock and Greens:
Pam cooking spray
6 c. well-flavored chicken or vegetable stock, or bottled clam juice
3-1/2 c. tomato or V8 juice, divided (use the reserved juice from the tomatoes above for part)
1 tsp. salt
4 bay leaves
6 bunches greens: ideally 1 bunch each mustard greens, spinach, turnip greens, beet tops, collard greens, arugula, and watercress, very well washed and finely ribboned (see note at end)
Before beginning to cook, prepare all the vegetables by chopping, slicing, etc. Get out all the other ingredients and lay them out as well.
Make the roux: use a large, well-seasoned cast-iron pot or skillet. Pour in 1 c. oil, turn heat to medium, and immediately use a wire whisk to beat in 1 c. flour. It will be pale cream in color. Stir frequently, every several minutes. You can proceed with the next steps as it cooks, but don't forget to keep stirring often! The roux will gradually color; as it gets darker you will want to keep a closer eye on it. A nice deep brown is the color you're after, but don't let it burn or you'll have to start over. When it's fairly brown the oil will begin to separate partially; don't stop before this point, and after it it's a matter of taste, as the darker the roux the stronger the flavor.
While the roux is beginning to cook, prepare the vegetable sauté. In another very large heavy (cast-iron is good) skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add bell peppers and celery, lower the heat slightly and keep cooking for another 10 minutes. Don't forget to stir the roux a few times as the vegetables sauté. Then add the green onions and sauté until limp, another 5 minutes.
While the vegetables sauté and the roux cooks, prepare the seasoning pureé. Place all the ingredients for it except the tomatoes and parsley in a food processor. Pause to stir roux and vegetable sauté. Buzz the pureé ingredients until the garlic is chopped fine.
Check the roux again, then add the tomatoes and fresh parsley to the food processor. Chop coarsely.
When the vegetables are softened, remove from heat and set aside. Keep working on the roux until it is a nice deep toasty brown; it may be nearly ready or may take a little longer.
With one eye on the roux, prepare the stock and greens. Spray a very large stock pot (at least 10-qt. size) with Pam. In it, bring to a boil the stock and 2 c. tomato or V8 juice. Add the salt and bay leaves, then drop in the ribboned fresh greens. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, about 30 min.
Stir the roux. By now it should be browned; if not, continue to cook, stirring. When it is browned enough, remove the roux from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Drain off any separated oil, but leave all the browned flour. Vigorously whisk in the remaining 1-1/2 c. tomato or V8 juice to form a smooth, thick, pale orange paste.
When the greens have finished the 30-minute simmer, remove from the heat. Add to the stock pot the roux mixture, the vegetable sauté, and the seasoning pureé. Taste and adjust the seasoning, put the pot back on the stove over the lowest possible heat and simmer, covered, another 15 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. That's the base!
To make the gumbo:
For 4 servings, take 3 c. gumbo base and simmer with 3 c. stock for about 30 min. Add meat (I like about 8 oz. diced cooked chicken plus 8 oz. smoked sausage, sliced and fried) and simmer until heated through. Cook 1 to 1-1/2 c. white rice meanwhile. To serve, place a mound of rice in a bowl, ladle over the hot gumbo, and (if you like) sprinkle with about 1/4 tsp. filé powder.
Notes:
You can use whatever meats you like. Andouille or other smoked sausage, chicken, ham, crab, shrimp, duck, turkey, crawfish - anything you want or have on hand. If you're vegetarian, okra is an option too: slice about a pound into 1/8" rounds and sauté in 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat for 6-8 min. before adding to gumbo. Simmer 30 minutes.
Regarding the greens, bunch size varies widely; you're looking for a total of 6-7 lb. of greens of various sorts. Usually at least 2 or 3 are findable fresh in the supermarket. The frozen 10-oz. boxes can be used also, in a pinch. Use your judgment, but try to get a variety of types.
This is a huge undertaking, the vegetable prep alone is lengthy (a Cuisinart makes the greens-ribboning and vegetable-chopping much easier), but it makes a tremendous amount - I bought a 16-qt. stock pot especially for it, which is bigger than actually necessary. I like to freeze it in 3-c. Gladware containers (don't forget to label and date them), which you can then pull out of the freezer and dump directly in a pan with a couple of cans of chicken broth. Sauté your meats and cook the rice while it's thawing and then simmering. Three cups of base, plus broth and meats, over rice, is plenty for two of us for two dinners, so ought to serve four if you have salad etc. with it.
From: Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread: A Country Inn Cookbook, by Crescent Dragonwagon
Makes: 5-6 quarts base, serves 24+ once finished
Roux:
1 c. vegetable oil (e.g. canola or peanut)
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
Vegetable Sauté:
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 bunch celery (including leaves), chopped
1 large bunch (8-10 large) green onions, chopped
Seasoning Pureé:
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 c. Worcestershire or Pickapeppa sauce
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
6 to 8 good grinds black pepper
1 can (16 oz.) whole tomatoes, juice reserved, coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh flat-leaved parsley, leaves and stems, rinsed and coarsely chopped
Stock and Greens:
Pam cooking spray
6 c. well-flavored chicken or vegetable stock, or bottled clam juice
3-1/2 c. tomato or V8 juice, divided (use the reserved juice from the tomatoes above for part)
1 tsp. salt
4 bay leaves
6 bunches greens: ideally 1 bunch each mustard greens, spinach, turnip greens, beet tops, collard greens, arugula, and watercress, very well washed and finely ribboned (see note at end)
Before beginning to cook, prepare all the vegetables by chopping, slicing, etc. Get out all the other ingredients and lay them out as well.
Make the roux: use a large, well-seasoned cast-iron pot or skillet. Pour in 1 c. oil, turn heat to medium, and immediately use a wire whisk to beat in 1 c. flour. It will be pale cream in color. Stir frequently, every several minutes. You can proceed with the next steps as it cooks, but don't forget to keep stirring often! The roux will gradually color; as it gets darker you will want to keep a closer eye on it. A nice deep brown is the color you're after, but don't let it burn or you'll have to start over. When it's fairly brown the oil will begin to separate partially; don't stop before this point, and after it it's a matter of taste, as the darker the roux the stronger the flavor.
While the roux is beginning to cook, prepare the vegetable sauté. In another very large heavy (cast-iron is good) skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add bell peppers and celery, lower the heat slightly and keep cooking for another 10 minutes. Don't forget to stir the roux a few times as the vegetables sauté. Then add the green onions and sauté until limp, another 5 minutes.
While the vegetables sauté and the roux cooks, prepare the seasoning pureé. Place all the ingredients for it except the tomatoes and parsley in a food processor. Pause to stir roux and vegetable sauté. Buzz the pureé ingredients until the garlic is chopped fine.
Check the roux again, then add the tomatoes and fresh parsley to the food processor. Chop coarsely.
When the vegetables are softened, remove from heat and set aside. Keep working on the roux until it is a nice deep toasty brown; it may be nearly ready or may take a little longer.
With one eye on the roux, prepare the stock and greens. Spray a very large stock pot (at least 10-qt. size) with Pam. In it, bring to a boil the stock and 2 c. tomato or V8 juice. Add the salt and bay leaves, then drop in the ribboned fresh greens. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, about 30 min.
Stir the roux. By now it should be browned; if not, continue to cook, stirring. When it is browned enough, remove the roux from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Drain off any separated oil, but leave all the browned flour. Vigorously whisk in the remaining 1-1/2 c. tomato or V8 juice to form a smooth, thick, pale orange paste.
When the greens have finished the 30-minute simmer, remove from the heat. Add to the stock pot the roux mixture, the vegetable sauté, and the seasoning pureé. Taste and adjust the seasoning, put the pot back on the stove over the lowest possible heat and simmer, covered, another 15 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. That's the base!
To make the gumbo:
For 4 servings, take 3 c. gumbo base and simmer with 3 c. stock for about 30 min. Add meat (I like about 8 oz. diced cooked chicken plus 8 oz. smoked sausage, sliced and fried) and simmer until heated through. Cook 1 to 1-1/2 c. white rice meanwhile. To serve, place a mound of rice in a bowl, ladle over the hot gumbo, and (if you like) sprinkle with about 1/4 tsp. filé powder.
Notes:
You can use whatever meats you like. Andouille or other smoked sausage, chicken, ham, crab, shrimp, duck, turkey, crawfish - anything you want or have on hand. If you're vegetarian, okra is an option too: slice about a pound into 1/8" rounds and sauté in 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat for 6-8 min. before adding to gumbo. Simmer 30 minutes.
Regarding the greens, bunch size varies widely; you're looking for a total of 6-7 lb. of greens of various sorts. Usually at least 2 or 3 are findable fresh in the supermarket. The frozen 10-oz. boxes can be used also, in a pinch. Use your judgment, but try to get a variety of types.
This is a huge undertaking, the vegetable prep alone is lengthy (a Cuisinart makes the greens-ribboning and vegetable-chopping much easier), but it makes a tremendous amount - I bought a 16-qt. stock pot especially for it, which is bigger than actually necessary. I like to freeze it in 3-c. Gladware containers (don't forget to label and date them), which you can then pull out of the freezer and dump directly in a pan with a couple of cans of chicken broth. Sauté your meats and cook the rice while it's thawing and then simmering. Three cups of base, plus broth and meats, over rice, is plenty for two of us for two dinners, so ought to serve four if you have salad etc. with it.