Reggae Gumbo Recipes

CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook in batches for about 5 mins to brown all over. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the onion, green pepper and celery to the pan, put on the lid and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally until softened a little. Stir in the garlic, spices, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan with the flour, stirring to coat everything. Pour in the tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil, cook for 5 mins, then add the okra and half the sage. Turn down to a simmer, put on the lid and cook for 10 mins. Then season and serve, scattering the rest of the sage over.

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.

REGGAE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add pork cubes and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes; add mushrooms, onions, garlic and celery; cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about five minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, ginger root, oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in sweet potatoes and okra or zucchini; cover and simmer another 30-35 minutes, until pork and potatoes are very tender; stir in coriander during last five minutes of cooking time.
• Remove from heat and serve.

VEGETARIAN GUMBO

Steps:

• Place vegetable oil and flour in a Dutch Oven with a heavy bottom. I like to use a cast iron Dutch oven. Turn the heat on medium and whisk continuously until mixture becomes fragrant. This should take about 5 minutes.
• Turn heat to low or medium-low depending on the size and heat your burner gives off. Continue to whisk continuously (it's alright to stop for a few seconds here and there, but not for any length of time) until roux becomes a dark caramel color, like the color of an old penny. This could take 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove Dutch oven from heat.
• In a food processor, process tomato, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, liquid smoke, vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, thyme, red pepper flakes, paprika, nutmeg, and oregano until mixture is smooth.
• Place Dutch oven with roux over medium-high heat and add tomato/onion puree. Stir to mix together. Continue to cook until most of liquid has evaporated.
• Add vegetable stock and stir. Bring to a simmer.
• Add beans, mushrooms, zucchini, green and red pepper, and celery and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve with rice and green onions.

CHICKEN & SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour turns a deep golden color, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a plate and let cool. (There will be a strong aroma similar to burnt toast. Be careful not to let the flour burn; reduce the heat if flour seems to be browning too quickly.) Alternately, toast the flour in a pie plate in a 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; sauté until the onions are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the toasted flour. Gradually stir in broth and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add tomatoes, okra, pepper, thyme, oregano, cayenne and bay leaf. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, covered, for 15 minutes longer.
• Add shrimp, chicken and sausage; simmer until the shrimp is opaque inside, the chicken is no longer pink and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt. Ladle into bowls.

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.