Yummy Gumbo To Warm Your Tummy

Cold weather has arrived in many parts of the country and with it, the need to warm body and soul. What better way than with that spicy Louisiana favorite, gumbo?

The Early Show resident chef Bobby Flay puts his modern twist on this delicious regional dish.

He explains that gumbo is a soup or stew that reflects and blends the rich cuisines of regional Indian, French, Spanish, and African cultures. The word "gumbo" is derived from the African term for okra, "gombo," and first appeared in print in 1805. Filé gumbo, a version thickened with filé powder (ground sassafras leaves), as used by the Choctaw Indians, came along about 20 years later.

This thick Southern style soup/stew is made with meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or vegetables and served over plain white rice.

There are thousands of variations, only a few of which are shrimp or seafood gumbo, chicken or duck gumbo, okra and filé gumbo.

Generally, gumbos fall into two categories: those thickened with okra (thus the name) and those with ground sassafras leaves, known as filé. The earlier gumbos were closer to soups than to the stew often served today. You can make the soup thicker by using more roux or adding more filé powder.

The ingredients call for oyster liquor, the juice left over from opening oysters, which would have been abundant in an era when many meals began with oysters. Bottled clam juice or fish broth make suitable substitutes. Serve the gumbo over rice. There are no hard and fast rules for making gumbo beyond the basic roux, okra or filé powder, and using your imagination. There are probably as many distinctive recipes for gumbo as there are cooks in Louisiana.

Flay adds that cookbooks as far back as the mid-1500s state that roux is derived from the French word "rouge," meaning "red" or "reddish" in color. A roux describes a mixture of equal amounts of fat (butter, meat drippings, or fat) and flour, which are cooked together at the very start of the recipe, before any liquid is added. It is used as a basis for thickening sauces.

Roux is the basis for many Louisiana dishes, particularly gumbo. Preparation of roux is dependent on cooking time; the longer you cook, the darker the roux. Roux must be stirred constantly to avoid. If you see black specks in your roux, you've burned it; throw it out and start over.

RECIPES

Shellfish & Andouille Gumbo with Shrimp, Scallops, Clams & Oysters with Blue Corn Muffins

Serves: 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 quarts lobster or light chicken stock
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and cook the celery, carrots, onions and garlic until soft. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Gradually add the flour, stirring continually. Cook the mixture (roux) until it's a light-caramel color, about 5-7 minutes. Add the onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes, without stirring.
2. Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan and whisk (using a whisk) into the roux mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, add the andouille sausage and continue simmering for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
12 scallops
12 large shrimp
18 littleneck clams
18 oysters

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet, over medium high heat until almost smoking. Season the scallops on one side with salt and pepper to taste and sear the scallops, on one side, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate.
2. Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining olive oil. Heat over medium-high until almost smoking. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook until just pink, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside with the scallops.
3. Add the scallops, shrimp, clams, and oysters to the roux mixture you made above and continue cooking until the clams and oysters open.

Blue Corn Muffins

Blue cornmeal is usually available only in specialty markets or the gourmet section of some supermarkets. Blue cornmeal is made from a variety of blue-black corn, which has been cultivated by the Hopi and Navajo Indians for thousands of years. This colorful meal is a bit coarser than yellow or white meal, but is somewhat sweeter and nuttier in flavor. It also contains about 20 percent more protein, up to 50 percent more iron, and twice the manganese and potassium as other varieties of corn. If you can't find blue corn meal, you may use yellow corn meal.

Yields 6 muffins

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup blue cornmeal (can substitute yellow)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Grease a six-slot muffin pan with non-stick vegetable spray.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, let cool slightly. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, bell pepper, jalapeno, corn, cilantro and honey. Whisk in the butter mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt and honey. Mix into the liquid mixture.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the muffins slots and bake for 16 minutes or until set, turning the pan once for even baking.