Seafood Okra Gumbo

My first and only trip to New Orleans was to see my little brother graduate from Tulane in the year 2000. We ate like Kings that week. Dinner at Emeril's, Commander's Palace and Jacquimos. Breakfast of fancy fried donuts called beignets and Nutty Black Coffee at Cafe Dumond. Lunch at the Gumbo Shop and elsewhere.

This recipe comes from the Gumbo Shop in New Orleans. I have tweaked the ingredients and directions a little based on what is available to me in Ojai, Calif. Of course if you can get shrimp with the heads on for the stock and fresh crab, do it!

Serves 6 to 8 hungry people.
Most peeps like a scoop of white rice in there.
Corn bread is almost a must.

2lbs frozen shrimp with shells

Cup of canned or fresh crab meat

(our local market carries this canned crab meat in a black tin that has been pretty consistent)

3 quarts water

2/3 cup + 2 Tbl. cooking oil (peanut oil has proven to be my favorite, but others work)

1 qt. frozen okra, pre sliced (Okra is fresh here in the summer and I almost never want gumbo in the summer...so frozen it is).

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 16oz. can of tomatoes (You can't find 16oz. of tomatoes, the 14oz works fine. Lately I use Muir's Fire Roasted Crushed tomatoes and like that the best).

2 Bay Leaves

2 tsp salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne (I get super shy about the red pepper when serving a large group).

1. Peal and De vein the Shrimp. Set aside in Fridge.

2. Rinse shrimp shells (and heads if you have them). In a non-reactive pot, heat a little of your oil and saute the shrimp bodies until pink. Add 3qts of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes to make stock. Strain, discard the bodies and set stock aside.

3. In a non-stick, heat 2Tbl. of oil and add okra. Saute over medium heat until "ropiness" is gone. This takes an unusually long amount of time, but I also like to "overdo" it and blacken the okra bit. About 25 minutes.

4. Place 2/3 cup of oil in a large (8qt.) heavy bottomed pan Dutch Oven like pan. Add the flour and, over medium high heat, make a dark brown roux. This also takes a crazy amount of time and can be done while the okra cooks. It requires constant stirring. Initially little foamy bubbles will appear, this is the flour frying. Then, once the bubbling has stopped and you start to smell popcorn, you must stay totally diligent. The roux will turn a teddy bear brown and make it's way to a chocolate. You will be tempted to stop before it gets too dark cuz if it's burned you have to start over, but play the edge as close as you can. The darker the roux the more nutty and rich the flavor.

5. As soon as you get the color you want, throw in the onion, peppers and celery. Stir and mix for about 4 minutes and then add the garlic. Saute until soft and the sweetness has been released. The Gumbo Shop suggests letting the vegetables stick to the bottom of the pan and then scraping them off allowing the natural sugars to caramelize but I have never experienced this "sticking" they talk about. Maybe if I was using Cast Iron...? About 15 minutes or so.

6. When the vegetables are tender, add the tomatoes, bay leaves, 3 peppers and salt. (I also usually add some thyme). Again, mixing and sauteing for about 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Add the cooked okra and saute for about 10 minutes more.

8. Add stock, but eyeball quantity. I never add it all. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat and partially cover and simmer for about an hour, stirring every so often, adding more stock if gumbo seems to thick.

9. Return to a boil and add shrimp and cook till pink and firm. About 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add canned crab.

Gumbo is best prepared ahead of time cuz the flavors get better with time. So early in the day or day before is best. Reheating gently to not overcook the shrimp.

Stuffed Crab and Smoked Whitefish Jalapenos with Tomotillo Salsa, Avocado and Feta

Chile Rellenos are one of my most favorite foods, but I have always been intimidated about working with that huge chili, hoping it won't fall apart as I fry it up. Working with jalapenos has been a good way to gain confidence. And one day I'll tackle the poblano.

I have stuffed these with cheese, pork, chorizo, chicken and various other experiments. Tonight, I decided to try a crab and smoked white fish filling since we were having pork tenderloin as the main dish.

I served these as a first course for 4 peeps and made enough so everybody could have 3 each. The jalapenos are fresh and plentiful this time of year. I got mine at Farmer and the Cook who got theirs from Tutti Frutti.

Preparing the Jalapenos
1. Fill a medium saucepan with about 3 inches of water. Add 2 roughly chopped small cones or 1/3 of a big come of piloncillo (Mexican cane sugar) or about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Bring to a boil as you prepare the chilies.

2 Make a "T-shaped" slit in each chili. The top of the "T" should be near the stem (about a thumb width) and the slit should go almost to the tip of the chili.

3. When water is boiling and sugar has dissolved, add chilies to the water. Simmer for about 5 minutes. (I usually use a small lid to press the chilies down cuz they have a tendency to bob on the top of the water).

4. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain cut side down.

5. When cool enough to handle, remove the seeds and veins with a small spoon. Be diligent about this. Any seeds left in there make it almost inedible for most people.

The Filing
As I mentioned above, you can stuff the chilies with anything, but tonight we used crab and smoked whitefish.

1. Heat some water and pour over a handful of Flame Raisins to soften.
2. Finely chop about 1/3 cup of white onion.
3. In a saute pan, heat a little olive oil. Add some freshly ground cumin and coriander and a hint of garam masala. Once fragrant (only about 20 seconds or so), add the onions and turn the heat to low. Saute until onions are super tender and the spices have blended. (I usually let this happen for at least 15 minutes)
4. While onions are cooking, chop about 1/4 cup of cilantro, a tbl. of capers and the warmed raisins.
5. Mix the onions, cilantro, capers together, mashing a bit with a fork.
6. Grate zest of one lemon into mixture and offer the juice of half of the lemon.
7. Add a generous 1/3 of a cup of crab meat and 1/2 cup of smoked whitefish. Blend well and taste for needed tweaks. Salt is usually required. (I do not add pepper cuz of the spiciness of the chilies).

Stuffing the chilies
Carefully Open and stuff the chilies with amount of stuffing that allows you to close the chili back up into its "original" shape. Store on plate with Plastic Wrap and put in fridge. 30 Minutes before frying, put the chilies in the freezer so they hold together better. (Thank you Rick Bayless for this tip).

Battering and Frying the Chilies
This is what makes this dish difficult to do for company. Cuz you really want to do this right before you serve it. So, I only serve it when pals who don't mind you in the kitchen when they come over.

1. If you want to keep them warm while you fry the whole lot up, turn the oven to its lowest setting. (I had polenta cooking in the oven tonight, so I did not have this option).

2. Heat a massive amount of oil in a deep dish heavy skillet. You want at least 1/2 inch of oil. Tonight I tried Spectrum's High Heat Sunflower oil and it worked great.

3. Separate eggs, letting whites fall into big bowl and keeping egg yolks in a smaller bowl.

4. Spread about 1/4 flour on a plate.

5. Add about 1/4 tsp. of salt into egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Then, with mixer still going, add a tbl. of flour and the yolks one at a time until blended.

6. Working quickly, hold onto the stems as you dunk chilies in flour, shaking off the excess and then dip them into the batter to coat fully. Then place them in the hot oil to fry. Work in small batches to allow plenty of frying room. As they set, spoon some of the hot oil on the sunny side up. Turn after about 2 minutes and fry other side.

7. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and keep in oven if you have that option.

To Serve:
Tonight I smeared a platter with tomotillo salsa and layed the chilies on top. Sprinkle with cilantro and feta and serve with extra salsa and avocado slices to cut the heat. Might have been nicer to make everyone individual plates of them...but it worked out fine. Sour creme would also have been welcomed as these jalepenos turned out to be on the spicer side.