Paul Prudhommes Gumbo Food

BLACKENED FISH

Steps:

• Mix together paprika, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, white pepper, thyme, and salt in a small bowl.
• Heat a heavy cast iron pan on high heat until extremely hot, about 10 minutes.
• While the pan is heating, pour 3/4 cup melted butter into a shallow dish. Dip each fillet into butter, turning once to coat both sides. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with spice mixture; gently pat mixture onto fish.
• Working in batches, place fillets into the hot pan without crowding. Carefully pour about 1 teaspoon melted butter over each fillet. Cook until fish has a charred bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn fillets and spoon about 1 teaspoon melted butter over each. Continue cooking until bottoms are charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining fish.

CLASSIC SAUSAGE CHICKEN AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• Put chicken pieces in a bowl. Blend salt, peppers, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika, granulated garlic, and file powder. Rub four teaspoons of the mixture over the chicken. Set the rest of the spice mixture aside.
• Put the flour in a bowl and add two teaspoons of the reserved spice mixture. Blend well.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet and add the oil. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture to coat well, shaking off excess. -Reserve the leftover flour.
• When the oil is hot and almost smoking, add the cut-up chicken pieces skin-side down. Cook for about five minutes on one side until golden brown. Turn and cook about four minutes on the second side until nicely browned. Drain excess oil thoroughly on paper towels.
• Pour off all but one cup of fat from the cast-iron skillet. Heat the oil over high heat until it is almost smoking,and then add the reserved seasoned flour. Stir the mixture rapidly and constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture is amber brown. Do not burn.
• Add the chopped onion, celery and green pepper to the roux and then stir to blend. Remove the cast-iron skillet from the heat.
• Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a large Dutch Oven.
• Add about half a cup of the roux mixture
• Add the smoked sausage and stir. Cook over high heat, stirring often from the bottom, about 15 minutes.
• Add the chicken pieces, bay leaves, and finely minced fresh garlic. Cook about 40 minutes, on medium-low, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the chicken pieces. Cut the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Cut the chicken into cubes or shred it and add it back to the pot. At this time, add the Okra if you did not use file powder and simmer for 7 minutes.
• Serve with white rice or potato salad (or both) spooned into the gumbo.

CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Put chicken pieces in a bowl. Blend salt, peppers, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika, granulated garlic and file powder. Rub four teaspoons of the mixture over the chicken. Set rest of spice mixture aside.
• Put the flour in a bowl and add two teaspoons of the reserved spice mixture. Blend well.
• Heat a 10-inch skillet and add the oil. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture to coat well, shaking off excess. Reserve the leftover flour.
• When the oil is hot and almost smoking, add the chicken pieces skin side down. Cook about two minutes on one side until golden brown. Turn and cook about three minutes on the second side until nicely browned. Do this in batches so as to not crowd the pan. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.
• Pour off all but one cup of fat from the skillet. Heat this oil over high heat until it is almost smoking and add the reserved seasoned flour. Stir rapidly and constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture is golden brown. Do not burn. This is a roux.
• Add the chopped onion, celery and green pepper to the roux and stir to blend well. Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Add about half a cup of the roux mixture to the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Continue adding the roux mixture, half a cup at a time, always stirring rapidly and constantly.
• Add the smoked sausage and stir. Cook over high heat, stirring often from the bottom, about 15 minutes.
• Add the chicken pieces, bay leaf and finely minced fresh garlic. Cook about 40 minutes, on medium-low, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the chicken pieces. Cut the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Cut the chicken into cubes or shred it and add it back to the pot. Serve with white rice or potato salad (or both) spooned into the gumbo.

SHRIMP AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine first 8 ingredients in small bowl for seasoning mixture.
• Heat 4 Tablespoons oil in 4-quart saucepan over high heat 1 minute.
• Add 2 cups okra and saute until brown, about 6 minutes.
• Stir onion, green pepper and celery into okra and cook 1 minute.
• Add butter and cook 1 minute.
• Mix in garlic and saute 1 minute.
• Stir in seasoning mixture and continue cooking over high heat 3 minutes to blend flavors, scraping bottom of pan frequently.
• Add flour and remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
• Continue cooking until flour is brown,scraping bottom of pan frequently, about 2 minutes.
• Mix in 1 1/2 cups stock, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan.
• Stir in remaining stock; boil 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in remaining 1 cup okra and continue simmering for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead at this point. Cover and refrigerate.Slowly bring to a simmer before proceeding.).
• Add green onion to soup and simmer 3 minutes.
• Stir in shrimp and simmer until shrimp just turn pink, about 1 minute.
• Salt to taste and serve.

PAUL PRUDHOMME'S CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO WITH ANDOUILLE

Steps:

• Combine onions, bell peppers, and celery in a medium-size bowl and set aside. In a small bowl combine next 7 ingredients for seasoning; mix well and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke, about 5 minutes.
• Gradually add the flour, whisking constantly with a metal whisk. Continue cooking and whisking until roux is dark red-brown to black, 2-4 minutes.
• Immediately add half the vegetable mirepoix and stir well, switching to a spoon if necessary, 1 minute.
• Add the remaining vegetables, continuing to stir, about 2 minutes. Add the seasoning mix and continue to cook, about 2 minutes.
• Add garlic, stirring well for another minute. Remove from heat.
• Place the stock in a 5 1/2-qt saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to boil. Add roux mixture by spoonfuls, stirring until dissolved in between each addition. Bring back to boil.
• Add andouille and return to boil again; continue boiling for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add the shrimp, undrained oysters, and crab meat. Return to boil, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat, skim oil from surface, and serve over rice.

PAUL PRUDHOMME'S GUMBO

Steps:

• Saute 1/2 okra in oil for about 3 mins. Add 1 tsp each of the three peppers. Cook for 10 more minutes. Stir in onions, cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup stock. Stir in tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and scraping. Add 2 more cups stock. Stir in remaining pepper and spices. Add butter. After melted, add remainder of stock and sausage, and simmer for about 45 mins. Add rest of okra and simmer 10 mins. Add shrimp and return to boil, then remove from head. Skim any oil from surface and serve over mounded rice in soup bowls.