Receta Shrimp Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
The Pool was tented for the occasion.What makes a dish
perfect for a dinner party? I’d suggest
something that keeps the cook out of the kitchen so that he or she can really
enjoy their dinner guests’ company as
much as possible. Last weekend, we were
entertaining The Bride and Groom, that is our two friends, Jill and Steven, who
have the distinction of being the only The Wedding was
covered in "Vows"
in the New York Times.
couple who have been married at our
house. Turns out, this was a mere 6
years ago. I thought it was longer,
likely because it seemed to take a decade for the lawn to come back. This year, the lawn had completely recovered
from its wedding bell blues—except, of course, where a small dog, who shall
remain nameless, left its marks this summer. Jill and Steven made the guest list of people they wanted to
see. And since there were both some new
and familiar faces, Andrew and I wanted to be part of the group and not
confined to the kitchen.
Enter this recipe for Gumbo, that gift of Louisiana to dinner
party hosts everywhere. The reason for
this is simple. A gumbo tastes best
after it has rested, the flavors melding together to form a spicy, rich, mixture
that just begs to be served over steamed rice.
The cook, therefore, should make the base for the Gumbo early in the
day—if not a day ahead. Everything goes
into the casserole except for the Shrimp.
Once the base has cooked the required hour, it gets chilled in the
refrigerator. This has the benefit of
allowing the excess fat from the sausage to congeal and be easily removed for
the final cooking. That done, you bring the mixture to a simmer, add the shrimp for all of
five minutes and dinner is served. How
wonderful is that? The recipe originally
appeared in Bon Appetit in 2006. I did
change it up, using smoked sausage in lieu of the original call for Andouille.
And I also halved the quantity, which every commentator had recommended. There
was a gracious plenty for 12 and I even had some left over. Here is the recipe:
Recipe for
Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo adapted from Bon Appetit:
Takes 20 minutes of prep, 60 minutes of cooking plus an added 10
minutes to add the shrimp just before dinner.
- The "Holy Trinity" of Louisiana Gumbo:
- Onions, Peppers and Celery
- 1/2 cup all
- purpose flour
- 3 large
- onions, chopped (about 6 cups)
- 3 red bell
- peppers, seeded, chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 4 celery
- stalks, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1 teaspoon
- cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup
- chopped fresh thyme
- 1 28-ounce
- cans diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 8-ounce
- bottles clam juice
- 3 cups
- low-salt chicken broth
- 2 pounds smoked
- or andouille sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 1/2 pounds
- skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 pounds
- peeled deveined medium shrimp
- Minced fresh
- Italian parsley
- Steamed rice
- (3 cups raw rice prepared per package instructions.
- 1. Heat oil in heavy 13-quart pot over
- medium-high heat until very hot and almost smoking. Add flour and stir
constantly until mixture is dark reddish brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chopped
onions, chopped bell peppers, and chopped celery and cook until onions are soft
and brown, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cayenne and
stir 2 minutes.
3. Add wine, thyme, and bay leaves; bring to boil, stirring
occasionally.
4. Add tomatoes with juice, clam juice, broth, sausage, and chicken;
simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Do ahead Gumbo base can be made 2 days ahead. Cool
slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. When you removed the base from the fridge, skim off the excess fat and discard. Bring base
to simmer before continuing.
5. Add shrimp to pot and cook shrimp until
just opaque in center, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season gumbo to taste
with salt and pepper. Garnish with minced parsley and serve with steamed rice.