Gumbo Zerbes Recipes

LEAH CHASE'S GUMBO Z'HERBES

Steps:

• Combine first 11 ingredients and water to cover in a 15-qt. stockpot; cover. Bring to a boil over high heat (about 20 minutes). Uncover; boil, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Coarsely chop greens.
• Combine smoked sausage and next 2 ingredients in pot with 2 cups reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Boil, stirring once, 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook chorizo in hot oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels, reserving 3 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.
• Make a roux: Stir flour into reserved drippings with a wooden spoon, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until flour is medium brown (about 15 minutes; see "Master the Art of Making Roux," page 5, as a guide). Add flour mixture to mixture in stockpot, and stir well. Add chopped greens mixture and 5 cups reserved cooking liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in salt, thyme, red pepper, and chorizo. Cook, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes. Stir in filé powder; stir vigorously. Serve over hot cooked rice.

GUMBO Z'HERBES

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add ham hocks and onion; cook until onion has softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add greens; cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, 7 to 9 minutes. Add broth, 6 cups water, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme; season with salt and cayenne.
• Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook the gumbo 2 1/2 hours, or until ham hocks are tender and greens are very tender.
• Remove ham hocks from pot; shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Return meat to gumbo. Remove and discard bay leaf. Season with salt, and serve over rice.

GUMBO Z'HERBES

Steps:

• Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot. Add cabbage and simmer, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer cabbage with tongs to a colander reserving cooking liquid, then add half of mustard, turnip, and beet greens to cooking liquid. Simmer uncovered, 5 minutes. Transfer greens with tongs to colander with cabbage, then cook remaining greens in same manner and transfer to colander. When greens are cool enough to handle, finely chop.
• Add ham hocks to cooking liquid (liquid will not cover them completely) and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Transfer with tongs to a cutting board to cool. Transfer ham broth to a bowl, adding water if necessary to measure 5 cups liquid. Discard skin, bones, and fat and finely chop ham.
• Cook onions and garlic in butter in pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add ham broth in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Add chopped greens, ham, thyme, and minced chile and simmer, uncovered, until greens are tender, about 8 minutes.
• Gradually add spinach, stirring until wilted. Stir in parsley, vinegar, and salt. Serve with hot sauce and additional vinegar if desired.

GUMBO Z'HERBES

Steps:

• Cut leeks in half lengthwise, then slice both white and green parts crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Remove and discard stems from collard greens, turnip greens, kale, and chard; chop all greens, keeping them separate. Dice celery stalks and reserve leaves for garnish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and 1 tablespoon thyme; cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add collard greens, turnip greens, and cabbage; cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add kale, chard, and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until all greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking greens, stirring frequently, until tender and no longer bitter, about 10 minutes. Remove greens from the pot and transfer to a large bowl; set aside until ready to use.
• Wipe out the pot and melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour mixture is dark brown in color and very aromatic (try to get this mixture as dark as possible without burning it), about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, onion, and diced celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme; cook, stirring constantly, until tender and fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in vegetable broth. Add reserved braised greens, add bay leaves, black pepper, file powder, and crushed red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season with remaining 1 tablespoon salt.
• Serve over cooked rice and garnish with reserved celery leaves, if desired.

GUMBO 'ZERBES

Steps:

• Wash the greens, roll them up and shred them finely, and measure them.
• Steam them in the water that clings to them.
• Set them aside, with any cooking liquid from them.
• Mix the peeled chopped onion with the seasonings.
• Set aside.
• Make a roux by cooking the fat and flour, stirring constantly, until it browns, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the seasoned onions, and cook them slowly for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
• Slowly stir in the stock.
• If using leftover rice, break it up and stir it in.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add the greens, heat through, and serve.
• If using rice freshly made for this dish, omit adding the rice to the gumbo.
• Put some in each bowl and serve the gumbo over it.
• (Just simmer the gumbo 10 minutes after the roux and stock have been mixed, then add the greens.).

GUMBO Z'HERBES

Steps:

• In a stockpot or large saucepan, heat the bacon fat. Add the ham hock and onions and cook for 10 minutes, until onions are softened and slits in ham hock have begun to open up. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped greens, parsley, green onions and cabbage and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted. Add broth or water and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, skim surface, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, until greens are very tender. Season with salt and pepper and add file, to taste, just before serving in large bowls over hot white rice. (Do not allow gumbo to boil after adding the file.)

GUMBO Z'HERBES WITH RED BEANS

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) cook oil and flour over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a flat-edged metal or wooden spatula, until roux is the dark reddish-brown color of chestnut shells, about 45 minutes. (Alternatively, make Microwave Brown Roux and transfer to skillet.) Roux may be made 1 week ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered, in a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Reheat roux in skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, before proceeding. Stir in onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened.
• In a 10- to 12-quart heavy kettle bring 4 quarts water to a boil and add carrot tops and assorted greens. Simmer greens, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer greens with tongs to a large shallow baking dish, letting excess cooking liquid drip into kettle and reserving all cooking liquid. Cool greens until they can be handles and chop coarse.
• Stir beans and remaining 3 quarts water into reserved cooking liquid and simmer beans, covered partially, until tender, about 1 hour. (Older beans may take longer to cook.) Add roux mixture by large spoonfuls, stirring well after each addition, and stir in greens, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gumbo, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Gumbo may be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, uncovered, and chilled, covered.
• Serve gumbo ladled over rice in large soup plates.

GUMBO Z'HERBES

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add both kinds of sausage; cook until the sausage is cooked through and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate.
• Add the remaining 5 tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the onion, poblano, and celery and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the stock and stir to combine.
• Plop the ham hock in and bring to a boil over high heat. Return the chorizo and andouille to the pot. Add the collard greens, kale, spinach, cabbage, green onions, and thyme. (You may need to let the greens cook a bit between additions so they will all fit in the pot. Don't be tempted to add additional liquid too soon: It's easy to add but hard to remove, and you want the gumbo to be dense and like stew, not soup.) Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the greens are tender, about 45 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce to taste. Serve ladled over cooked white rice with hot sauce on the side.

GUMBO Z'HERBS OR GUMBO VERTE

Steps:

• To smoke mushrooms: take med sized mushrooms, trim stem and place in pan in smoker for 45 minutes.
• To cook red beans: sort and rinse beans. Place in pot Cover with water and cook for about 1 to 2 hours. Save the water to use in the gumbo.
• Using a large heavy pot heat the olive oil over med high heat then add the flour and make the roux by stirring until the flour becomes peanut butter color.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery as soon as it does then sauté until tender, browning a bit and starting to stick. Add the shallots, garlic, herbs, salt, and peppers. Stir often for about 5 minutes.
• Boil the water in a large soup pot. NOTE use the bean water also.
• Chop 1 inch squares of collards and cabbage then boil until tender. Add the turnip greens, mustard greens and green onions and return to a boil.
• Coarsely chop mushrooms. Add it to the roux mixture and cook for 2 minutes.
• Carefully stir the roux mixture into the simmering greens and bring to boil.
• Add the parsley, cooked red beans, and soy sauce to taste. Bring to a boil one more time, then turn off.
• Serve over rice.
• Serving size based on 1 cup.