Texas Ranch Gumbo Recipes

JORDAN BABINEAUX'S GUMBO TEXAS STYLE

Steps:

• To make roux, heat the oil in heavy skillet until very hot. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly, until it forms a paste. Lower heat and continue to stir until dark brown, do not burn
• Turn off heat and continue to stir until mixture stops bubbling.
• Fill large pot half full with water. Season the chicken with the garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper and salt. Add the chicken, basil, rosemary, green pepper, celery, onion, sausage, crab legs and roux to the pot. Bring to full boil, stirring constantly to keep roux from sticking to bottom.
• Reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Add the shrimp, simmer about 30 minutes longer. Add the oysters and cook 5 minutes more. Serve with rice or crackers.

TEXAS RANCH-STYLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from steaK; cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Combine flour, thyme, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish or pie pan; dredge meat in flour mixture.
• Heat butter and oil in a dutch oven; add meat; cook until browned on all sides.
• Remove meat, reserving drippings in pan; add onion and green peppers to pan; stir/saute until tender.
• Stir in mead and next 5 ingredients; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove bay leaf and adjust seasonings to taste; serve over rice.

TEXAS RANCH POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add whole potatoes, and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, run under cold water to cool, and chop into 1 inch cubes. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours.
• In a small bowl, stir together the ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise and green onion. Cover, and refrigerate for about 2 hours to blend flavors.
• Wrap bacon in paper towels and place on a plate. Cook in the microwave until crisp, about 15 minutes depending on the power of your microwave. Cool.
• Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the bowl of potatoes. Crumble bacon into the bowl, and stir to distribute. Serve.

TEXAS RANCH DRESSING

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a large lidded jar and shake well.
• Chill at least 30 minutes.
• The dressing keeps, refrigerated, at least 5 days.
• VARIATION: Add one or two minced fresh or pickled jalapeños.

TEXAS JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, green pepper and celery, until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, and cook another minute. Add rice, sausage and ham. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, to coat the rice with oil, stirring frequently. Pour in tomatoes with green chiles and chicken broth. Season with thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in the beans, mix well and heat through.

LOW COUNTRY GUMBO

Steps:

• Prepare the vegetables. Remove sausage from the casings and crumble. Set aside.
• Season the diced chicken with 3-4 tablespoons of Creole Spice Mix, either homemade or a high-quality store-bought mix. Dredge the chicken in ½ cup all-purpose flour.
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat ½ cup of lard. When melted, add the andouille and slightly flatten to an even layer; brown on both sides, just cooking through. (Do not overstir, or meat will not sear.) Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon so oil remains in pan, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.Add the chicken to the hot pan. Allow the chicken to brown and cook through in two batches, being careful not to overstir, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside with the sausage.
• Roux: Turn the heat to low. Scrape food bits from the bottom of pan (also known as "fond") so they are loose in the melted fat. Add the remaining ½ cup lard and allow it to melt. Dust in the remaining ¾ cup flour in several small additions, whisking constantly. Simmer on low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so roux does not stick, for 30-45 minutes, until the roux is the color of peanut butter.
• Raise the heat slightly. When the roux has just begun to bubble, add the onions and stir well to coat them. Then add the celery and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to just soften. (The goal is to "stew," not sear.) Add the garlic. Slowly add the stock in several additions, stirring and scraping constantly to deglaze and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves and the filé, and stir. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until "nappe consistency"-thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Add the chicken and sausage pieces and simmer.
• Heat a dry cast-iron skillet. Toss okra lightly in oil, then grill in the hot pan, stirring occasionally, until seared and aromatic. Remove, cool slightly, and chop into ½-inch pieces. Add to the pot and stir.
• Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Season with hot sauce, lemon, and some of the spice mix to taste. Serve with rice.
• Combine all the ingredients for the Creole Spice Mix in a bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside.