Brian Constantines Famous Firehouse Gumbo Recipes

"SPONTANEOUS HEATING" GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the canola oil, chicken breast and sausages. Saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion and peppers and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, spices, and hot sauce. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add clam juice, chicken stock, tomato juice and pale ale. Bring to a simmer and add the fish and shrimp. Cook until the shrimp and fish are done, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the okra and clams. Simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over white rice.

VALERIE'S VERY BEST GUMBO

Steps:

• Warm 1 cup oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until hot. Add the flour to the pot all at once, whisking until the consistency is uniform. Cook the roux, whisking occasionally, until it is the color of a tarnished penny, about 20 minutes. Do not let it darken any further. Carefully add the celery, bell peppers, onion, chopped scallions and garlic to the pot, working away from you as the hot roux may spatter. Stir with a wooden spoon until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables, about 1 quart, and stir to combine. The roux may separate. Add the tomatoes with their juices, andouille and smoked sausages, cayenne, bay leaves, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper and the remaining stock, about 1 more quart. Partially cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the okra and cook, stirring, until the gel dries out slightly, about 3 minutes. Add to the Dutch oven.
• Taste the gumbo for seasoning and adjust as desired. Add the chicken, cook until warmed through and serve, or simmer up to 2 hours more to concentrate the flavors, adding the chicken 20 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with the reserved sliced scallions and serve over rice. Serve with hot sauce and file powder if using.

GUMBO

Steps:

• For the roasted okra: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss the okra with some olive oil, then spread in a baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• For the blackening spice: Stir together the paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and thyme in a jar.
• For the gumbo: Saute sausage, garlic, celery, onion and peppers in 1/2 cup olive oil in a saucepot until veggies are soft.
• Mix flour with canola oil and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook until dark brown, then add to veggie pot. Add 1/4 cup blackening spice (save the remainder for another use). Add stock, chicken, pork, tomatoes, file, oregano, thyme and bay leaf, then add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 45 minutes.
• Mix the okra in with the rest of the gumbo. Serve with rice or cornbread.

FIREHOUSE CHILI GUMBO

Steps:

• Make the chili. Heat the oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the beef, stirring often, until it has begun to brown at the edges. Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned meat to a bowl.
• Pour off excess fat, turn heat down to medium and return the browned beef to the skillet or pot. Add salt, peppers, chile powder, turmeric, oregano and cumin, and stir to combine. Add steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes, and stir again. Cover the skillet or pot, and cook, stirring a few times, for 15 minutes or so.
• Make the gumbo. Place a large pot with a heavy bottom over medium heat, and put the butter and oil into it. When the butter is melted and foaming, sprinkle the flour into the pan, and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture is golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Add the onion, shallots, bell peppers, celery and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have started to soften, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Make the chili gumbo. Add the beef mixture to the pot with the vegetables along with the tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice and ketchup, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, then add apple-cider vinegar and hot sauce to taste. Take the pot off the heat, and serve, or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to cure. Heat before serving.

GUMBO

Steps:

• For the brine: Combine the chicken pieces, salt, hot sauce, liquid smoke and black pepper with 4 cups water in a large resealable bag and place inside a container (in case of leaks). Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and discard the brine.
• For the stock: If you have the time, allow the chicken to drain and dry out about 30 minutes prior to searing. It will create a better crust on the chicken and more brown bits on the bottom of the pot, ultimately adding more flavor to the gumbo.
• Sprinkle the chicken pieces, including the reserved neck, back and wing tips, with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven (enameled cast iron preferred), heat the oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken pieces and brown well on all sides, turning as needed. Add the celery, carrots, onions and jalapenos, and continue to brown for an additional 10 minutes. Add 1 gallon water and the liquid smoke and bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• After 1 1/2 hours, remove the chicken pieces, discarding the back, neck and wing tips. Strain the stock and reserve. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat and shred, discarding the bones and fat.
• For the gumbo: In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the sausages and cook until the fat has rendered down, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside. Add the bacon fat and, when shimmering, add the onions, celery, bell peppers and Anaheim peppers. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are just starting to color, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, being careful not to let it burn. Add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Stir until a dark golden roux has developed, 11 to 13 minutes. Add 1 cup at a time of the stock, incorporating well after each addition, to total 6 cups.
• Add the reserved sausages, shredded chicken, cayenne and white pepper into the pot. Heat through and add the salt and black pepper. If the gumbo is too thick, add a bit more stock to the pot, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
• Serve over rice and garnish with parsley.

BRIAN CONSTANTINE'S FAMOUS FIREHOUSE GUMBO

Steps:

• In gumbo pot, boil water.
• Add roux, lower heat to prevent boil over, constantly stir.
• Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and parsley.
• Cut sausage into bite size pieces and microwave 7 minutes on plate with paper towel to line bottom. Add to gumbo pot.
• Add in tomato sauce, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce.
• On medium heat cook for 2 hours.
• Add fryers, and cook for 1 more hour.
• After 3 hours add chopped green onions and parsley.
• Serve in bowl over cooked medium grain rice.
• Note: Never serve gumbo without potato salad on side.

FIREHOUSE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine chicken and enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Add 1/2 onion, 3 whole garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium, and cook for about 1 hour. Allow to cool. Remove chicken from pot; remove meat, discarding skin, and shred. Set aside. Strain broth, discarding solids. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch-oven, combine 3 cups of the chicken broth, tomatoes, allspice, thyme, basil, oregano, and hot sauce over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery, chopped onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes; add to Dutch-oven.
• In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat; add sausage, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to Dutch-oven. Add shredded chicken, rice, and remaining 2 tablespoons salt; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add shrimp, and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for a few minutes, and serve.