Brian Constantines Famous Firehouse Gumbo Recipes

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.

NO BAKE CHOCOLATE HAYSTACK COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, cocoa (I tend to go a little heavy on the cocoa) and salt.
• Heat to boiling, stirring frequently.
• When it has reached a rolling boil, cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove pan from heat and mix in vanilla, oats and coconut.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.
• Work quickly!
• Let cool.
• Alternate/optional additions, add any one with coconut: 1/2-3/4 cup mini marshmallows or 1/2 cup walnuts.

BEEF CHIANTI

Steps:

• Place beef and flour in a ziplock bag. Add ground black pepper and salt to your liking.
• Seal bag and shake and toss until beef is coated. Set aside.
• Gather your vegetables and chop them all into bite-size chunks. Peel potatoes and do the same. Set aside.
• In a stovetop dutch oven, heat oil until hot. Drop in coated beef cubes and brown lightly.
• Add chopped onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables.
• Add the 2 cups of beef broth, one can of tomato sauce and one cup of wine.
• Last, stir in the bay leaf and herbs. Bring to a low boil and turn down to simmer for 1 hour.
• Serve with a crusty bread. Mmmmm!
• After the hour is over, if you would like the broth thicker, you can add 2 tablespoons of flour to about 1/2 cup of cold water, shake and stir it in to thicken. (this is optional). It just depends on how you prefer your stew. For thinner, add a little water. Mine never seems to turn out the same way twice so I added this for an option. :-).

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.

JIM'S FAMOUS SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Thaw shrimp and crab if not using fresh.
• In large saucepan, combine flour and oil.
• Cook at medium low heat stirring for 30-40 minutes until dark red-brown.
• Add onions, peppers, celery, broth, ham hock, tomato sauce, undrained tomatoes, parsley, worcestershire sauce, pickapeppa, oregano, bay leaves, paprika, garlic powder and Tabasco.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Remove ham hock, cut off meat.
• Chop meat and return to pan.
• Skim off any fat.
• Add oysters, shrimp and crab.
• Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
• Add okra, cook 5 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove bay leaves.
• Add file powder.

CAJUN GUMBO

Steps:

• NOTE the computer doesn't understand Kombu. so Fresh Seedweed should be Kombu instead.
• Soak seaweeds in hot water or veggie broth and set aside.
• In small amount of water or veggie broth, saute okra, onion, pepper and garlic over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Make a roux with the flour and oil by blending until well mixed and cooking over a medium heat until brown (but not black), about 10 minutes.
• Add liquid from seaweed very slowly, mixing to remove any lumps and simmer. Add seaweed, bay leaves, thyme and hot pepper until mixed. Add tomatoes, combine with cooked okra and simmer 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.