HOT SAUSAGE AND SHELLFISH GUMBO
Gumbo is one of the greats. It can grace the table of a friendly Saturday night poker game or be eaten on New Year's Eve with Champagne in one hand and a smiling companion on the other. It is as American as jazz and heavyweight boxing.
Be sure your prep work is done ahead of time so all ingredients can be added to the soup in order. Gumbo is made in steps. Certain parts need long cooking, but other things, e.g., the oysters, suffer if they cook too long.
Serves 10 to 12
2 cups diced onions 1 cup diced celery stalks
V/г cups diced bell peppers, an equal 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and mixture of red, green, and yellow diced medium
HERB AND SPICE MIX
bay leaves teaspoons salt teaspoon black pepper teaspoon cayenne
cup oil (see Note 1) cup flour
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves Ч2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 cup tomato concasse 1 quart hot rich Shellfish Stock (page 245)
1 pound other seafood as desired, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound shellfish, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound andouille or chorizo sausage, pan-cooked, oils reserved, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 dozen freshly shucked oysters Cooked rice and pickled okra, for garnish
1. Prepare the vegetables and toss together in a bowl. Combine the herb and spice mixture.
2. Make the roux: Heat the oil in a very large, heavy-bottomed skillet. When the oil is hot, sift in VA cup of the flour and whisk steadily. The roux is absolutely crucial in making gumbo. It's not terribly difficult, but you must have total concentration to avoid the irretrievable mishap of burning it. Continue to add the flour, a little at a time, whisking. For this gumbo I make a black roux (for the definitive guide to roux-making, I suggest Paul Prudhomme's book, Louisiana Kitchen). So, cook the flour and oil together until the mixture is just about black, but not burned.
3. Now, shift into higher gear and add the vegetable mix a cup at a time. The first cup will nearly ignite upon contact with the heat. A degree of caramelization occurs instantly and turns the mixture a black tarlike color. This is just what is supposed to happen. Continue to add up to % of the vegetables; then add the garlic, then the herb and spice mixture, and then the tomato concasse. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon or paddle.
4. Now slowly ladle in the stock, bit by bit, stirring. Stop adding stock while the soup is still thick and stewlike. (You can always add more if you need to thin it out.) Allow the soup to simmer for about У2 hour.
5. Depending on the nature and size of the fish and shellfish, add them to the soup. Larger, oilier fish can handle a touch more time; smaller, fight seafoods only need an instant. 6. Add the sausage pieces. Then add the oysters and cook just a moment longer. Serve at once, garnished with rice and pickled okra.
Note 1: Peanut oil may be used to make the roux, but I use duck fat and some of the oily drippings from the cooked sausage to extend the flavors.
Note 2: If you have smoked duck or chicken, they would be a welcome addition to the combination of seafood and sausage in this one-pot entree.