Turkey Gumbo

There is always the problem with what to do with that leftover turkey. Now those sandwiches are really good but making a good turkey gumbo would be the best. A lady by the name of Dale Curry has a deep love of gumbos. She is a former ‘Times-Picayune’ food editor and the author of Gumbo: a Savor of the South Cookbook. The cookbook features recipes for classics, like Chicken and Andouille Gumbo and Creole Seafood Gumbo. In addition, the cookbook features contributions from some of New Orleans’ favorite chefs: Bart Bell, Leah Chase, Emeril Lagasse, and Donald Link.

Gumbo represents the best of classic Louisiana cuisine. You will love her recipe for Turkey Gumbo. Leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast, along with spicy andouille and briny oysters, will make the perfect addition to a flavorful pot of gumbo.

 

Turkey Gumbo

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 turkey carcass, trimmed and meat reserved (about 4 cups)

1 pint shucked oysters, undrained (optional)

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Salt, to taste

Creole seasoning, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

½ pound andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Hot cooked rice

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh thyme

Place turkey carcass in a stockpot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, strain stock into a large measuring cup, and discard bones. If using oysters, strain oyster liquor into stock. If necessary, add water to measure at least 8 cups liquid. Set aside.

In a large heavy stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add flour, and stir constantly until roux begins to brown. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, until roux becomes the color of peanut butter.

Add onion, green onion, and celery; simmer over low heat until translucent. Add garlic, and cook 1  minute more. Add 8 cups stock (or more if you prefer a thinner gumbo).

Add bay leaves, thyme, salt, Creole seasoning, pepper, and andouille sausage; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add turkey meat, and oysters, if using, and cook until oysters curl, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves, and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Add parsley, and serve in bowl over rice. Garnish with parsley and thyme, if desired. I like to garnish with green onions, chopped.

Old Thanksgiving Sides with a Twist

It is time again to think about Thanksgiving. Yes, I am cooking for my daughter and her future husband so the stress is on! I have had the same dishes for 30 years or more but decided to change them up a little with the help of a new cookbook by Julia Reed and some magazine recipes.

My husband gave me Julia’s new cookbook called Julia Reed’s South. Probably a lot of you know Julia Reed from her other books on entertaining and her articles in Garden and Gun. She is from the Delta and writes about high-spirited entertaining and high-style fun all year long. This book has her recipes for parties during the holidays, spring luncheons, and even a hunt breakfast. The book has gorgeous photographs and shows how to do invitations, setting the table, and arranging tables.

I was especially interested in her recipes for the holidays since I have started making my list. I have done scalloped oysters for 40 years but Julia had a recipe a little different from mine (which is from my husband’s grandmother’s cook) and I gave it a try and I believe it is better than the one I have always done. Everyone, according to Julia, has their own version of scalloped oysters in the Delta. Her mother uses Ritz crackers instead of saltines, and adds celery, scallions, herbs, and lemon juice. I will not use saltines anymore.

Another dish is her sautéed spinach recipe which her friend Jason Epstein taught her to do. This recipe was very good also and I will add it to my list of sides. It is a simple, classy dish with no cream and a touch of lemon.  This can be made ahead and reheated over low heat.

 

So here are the first of two sides for your Thanksgiving table.

Scalloped Oysters

Serves 8

6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) butter plus more for the baking dish

2 pints shucked fresh oysters

2 sleeves Ritz crackers, unopened

½ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

1/3 cup thinly sliced celery (use the tenderest pale green heart if you can)

½ cup thinly sliced scallions, including some of the tender green parts

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

¾ cup heavy cream

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease a 9x13-inch dish with butter.

Drain the oysters in a strainer over a medium bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oyster liquor. Lay out the oysters in a single layer on paper towels.

Roll up the unopened sleeves of the crackers in a dish towel and smash with a rolling pin until you have small pieces, about 2 ½ cups. You can use a food processor also.

Melt 8 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and toss the cracker crumbs in the butter until evenly coated. Stir in the parsley, remove the mixture to a medium bowl, and set aside.

Wipe out the sauté pan and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the celery and scallions, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 30 seconds. Add the cream and reserved oyster liquor and bring to a boil. Stir in the cayenne. Remove from the heat.

On the bottom of the buttered baking dish, sprinkle ½ cup of the cracker crumbs. Place a layer of oysters on top of the crumbs and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle half the cream mixture on top. Repeat with 1 cup of the remaining crumbs, the remaining oysters, and the remaining cream. Top with the remaining 1 cup cracker crumbs.

Bake until bubbling and the oysters are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

Jason’s Spinach

8 servings

1 stick butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup finely chopped shallots

4 pounds baby spinach washed and dried

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground white pepper

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large deep sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach, tossing continuously from the bottom of the pan. When all the spinach is added cover the pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the lid and toss again, making sure all the spinach is coated in the butter and oil and the spinach is limp and shiny. Stir in the salt, generous lashings of black pepper and white pepper, and the lemon juice.

Remove the sautéed spinach from the heat. Taste for seasonings. You may need more salt or pepper, but this dish should not be too lemony.

Drain the spinach in a colander, discarding any liquid, and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times-you don’t want the puree to be remotely runny or too smooth. The finished dish should be velvety but still maintain a bit of the texture of both the spinach and the shallots. Serve it in a covered silver vegetable dish or a bowl.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Starters--Celery Root Soup, Marinated Shrimp on Saltines

Last week for All Saint’s day I had a small party in our cemetery. I like doing this every year and had another couple from a nearby plantation come for drinks and appetizers. We set a small table in the cemetery with real napkins, a nice tablecloth, and flowers. It was a hot day but very nice nonetheless and I decided to start with a cold soup. Now this soup was to be a starter for my Thanksgiving dinner, (I was trying it out). It was to be served hot, but decided it would taste good cold. It was a hit and I think I can serve it as a starter for Thanksgiving. There is nothing worse than people standing around waiting for the feast and there is nothing to snack on. So a cup of soup is a good idea to help the wait.

So for another starter, (one that can be done ahead since you have your hands full) I chose a marinated shrimp on crackers. This is from my new cookbook from Julia Reed and it seemed so Southern and easy to do ahead. It was delicious also. So if you need something to serve ahead of the feast think about these two things, they are light enough not to ruin the appetite for all the food to come.

 

From ‘Food and Wine’ November 2016.

Celery Root Bisque with Walnut-Parsley Gremolata

Serves 8

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 large leek, white and light parts only, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 ½ lbs. celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice (8 cups)

One 2-inch chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (10z.), plus ¼ cup freshly grated cheese

2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

½ cup walnuts

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup coarsely chopped parsley

½ cup heavy cream

Kosher salt and pepper

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the leek and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the celery root, Parmesan chunk, stock and 5 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over moderately low heat. Stirring occasionally, until the celery root is tender, 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the walnuts in a pie place and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then finely chop and transfer to a bowl. Add the oil, parsley and grated cheese and mix well.

In a blender, puree the soup in 2 batches until very smooth. Pour into a clean saucepan and stir in the heavy cream; season with salt and pepper and reheat if necessary. Serve topped with the walnut gremolata. Serve hot or cold.

 

From Julia Reed’s South

Marinated Shrimp

2 pounds (16 to 20 count) shrimp, shelled, shells reserved

6 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more for finishing

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 bay leaves

Baked saltines (recipe follows)

Using the shells from shrimp you can make the stock as follows:

2 pounds shrimp, preferably with the heads still attached

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 cups water

Generous pinch of salt

Remove the shrimp shells and heads. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shells and heads and sauté both stirring and shaking for about 4 minutes. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. Strain the stock into a smaller pot and reduce the liquid by at least 1 cup.

To marinate the shrimp:

Smash the garlic cloves and sprinkle the cloves with ½ teaspoon of the salt and make a small paste and put into a small bowl.

Coarsely grind the peppercorns, add the additional ½ teaspoon salt and the lime juice and mix well. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the shrimp stock.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves, garlic mixture, and peppercorns and cook for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan and stirring often. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, still shaking the pan and make sure the shrimp are pink on both sides.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Taste the shrimp to make sure they are just cooked through and add more salt as necessary. Finish by stirring in a squeeze of lime juice and remaining 1 tablespoon shrimp stock.

Serve immediately or at room temperature. When the shrimp have cooled, you may cover and refrigerate them, but remove the shrimp 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Accompany them with baked saltines.

These are good on their own!

Bakes Saltines

Makes about 40 crackers

1 sleeve Nabisco Premium Saltine crackers

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Old Bay Seasoning for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the saltines crackers in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to baste the saltines with a layer of the butter and sprinkle each cracker with Old Bay. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden. Let cool, and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Chili Recipes for Fall

Nothing takes the chill off the autumn air like a good bowl of stew or chili. I found two really good recipes for you to try this week or whenever the air chills some. The October issue of ‘Southern Living’ had many recipes for soups, stews, and chilies but I choose two of the chilies to try and they were so good they should be added to your recipe collection.

 

White Bean and Pork Chili

Serves 8

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 lb. ground pork (I used some pork chops chopped up in the food processor)

1 medium-size white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 poblano chili, seeded, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 (4.5-oz.) cans chopped green chilies, undrained

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

2 (15.5-oz.) cans white beans (such as cannellini or great Northern), drained and rinsed

3 1/3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

6 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 ½ cups)

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add pork, and cook, stirring until crumbled and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain pork, and set aside. Wipe Dutch oven clean.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium. Add onions, poblano, garlic, green chilies, cumin, and salt, until vegetables are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Increase heat to high. Stir in beans, broth, and pork, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 40 minutes. Add cheese and lime juice, and stir until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

 

Classic Beef Chili

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion

8 cloves garlic, minced

3 lb. ground chuck

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

1/3 cup chili powder

2 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (12-oz.) bottle beer

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onions and garlic, and cook; stirring often, until tender, about 15 minutes. Add ground chuck, and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain beef mixture well, and return to Dutch oven.

Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.

Increase heat to high. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

 

 These chilies would be good served with cornbread but I heated some flour tortillas for one meal and that went really well with the chili.