Creole Gumbo With Cornbread Recipes

CREOLE GUMBO WITH CORNBREAD MUFFINS

Steps:

• For the gumbo, cut the sausage into ½" (1-cm) slices. Using the Food Chopper, coarsely chop the onion and bell pepper. Slice the celery into ½" (1-cm) slices. Heat ½ cup (125 mL) of the oil in the All-Purpose Pot over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the flour using the Nylon Spiral Whisk; stir constantly for about 10 minutes, or until the roux is milk chocolate in color. Remove the roux from the pot and set it aside.Add the remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) oil, celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic pressed using the Garlic Press to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.Stir in the broth, tomatoes, roux, seasoning blend, and sausage; bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.Meanwhile, for the cornbread, spray 6 1-Cup (250 mL) Prep Bowls with nonstick cooking spray; place the bowls into the 12" (30-cm) Steamer. Combine the cornbread ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Spoon about ¼ cup (50 mL) of the batter into each prep bowl.Stir the shrimp and okra into the pot. Place the steamer on the pot. Cover and cook 18-22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.Remove the steamer to a hot pad or trivet; let it stand for 5 minutes. To remove the cornbread, run a knife around rims of the prep bowls and invert. Ladle the gumbo into bowls and serve it with the cornbread and hot cooked rice, if desired.

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Cook onion and garlic in butter until onion is tender.
• Stir in flour.
• Cook, stirring constantly until flour is browned.
• Stir in the tomatoes, water, green pepper, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, salt and hot sauce.
• Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Remove bay leaves.
• Stir in the okra.
• Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir shrimp and crab meat into okra mixture.
• Cook about 5 minutes longer or until heated through.
• Serve gumbo over hot rice.
• (Traditionally, rice is mounded in heated soup plates and the gumbo is spooned around it).