New Orleans-Style Gumbo

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Whether we realize it or not, a lot of what we do is dictated by others. Case in point, the late Mr. O-P did not care for Creole or Cajun dishes, ergo I never made them. Now that he is, sadly, gone, it does free me up to experiment with this cuisine. Considering the season, and considering my love for this type of food, I decided to make my first ever pot of gumbo. Before I embarked upon this journey, I read a lot about it, studied a lot of recipes, and used all of that knowledge to come up with this version. Personally, I thought it was wonderful, but the real taste test was taking it to a neighbor who loves this type of food and used to live in New Orleans. In a word, she said it was “fabulous,” and thus I can share it with you.

There are different schools of thought when it comes to rice. Some people add it to the gumbo, some people serve it on the side, and others consider such an addition blasphemous. You can do what you like. I found that adding rice makes for a very hearty meal with the need for little else. But, if you want the true taste of the gumbo, serve and enjoy it as it is. Either way, this recipe is a winner.

New Orleans-Style Gumbo

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

4 oz. bacon drippings

4 oz. all-purpose flour

1 c. coarsely chopped celery

4 large Melissa’s shallots, rough chopped

1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced

3 qts. beef stock

1 T. granulated sugar

½ - 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

½  teaspoon Cajun seasoning

4 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 14.5-oz. can petite stewed tomatoes

1 6-oz. can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons file powder

2 tablespoons bacon drippings

2 10-oz. packages frozen cut okra, thawed

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 pound lump crabmeat

3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons file powder

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Make a roux by placing the bacon drippings and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven. Whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 80 minutes, whisking every 20 minutes.

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 finished roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer on top of the stove over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a stockpot bring the beef stock to a boil. Once boiling, whisk in the roux mixture. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; stir 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.

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If you prefer Jambalaya to Gumbo, try this easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya for a taste of New Orleans.

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New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

I am often amused at the things that inspire me. I am currently involved in the sad task of clearing out the house that my mother and dad shared for over 30 years. As you can imagine, it is quite a challenge. It’s not just 30 years of memories, but a lifetime of memories, as many of them had been moved from their previous home. On the plus side, I have uncovered some real treasures. My mother, though not the dish-collecting enthusiast that I am, did manage to hold her own. I will end up with some beautiful sets of dishes.

While cleaning out the hutch in the breakfast nook I came upon a darling little wavy-edged, yellow, square Italian baking dish. I thought it was as cute as a button, and the first thing I that I wanted to make in it was bread pudding. Don’t ask me why, it’s small, and only makes servings for four, but it was so darned cute, that I couldn’t resist.

The result was excellent! I was put onto this recipe by fellow blogger Alycia Nichols from Tablescapes at Table 21. I’m sure a lot of you know her. She had made rice pudding (that still sounds good to me) and sent me her recipe for rice pudding, and the whiskey sauce that she used to top it. The whiskey sauce was a part of this bigger recipe. I tinkered with it a little bit to make it more flavorful, and it really is delicious. Add more whiskey if you like, it’s cold and flu season, you’re probably doing yourself a favor in the long run.

New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

 Adapted from One Dish Kitchen

5 cups cubed challah bread

1 tablespoon butter

2 large eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 cup whiskey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

WHISKEY SAUCE

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup whiskey

½ teaspoon whiskey flavoring

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease an 8 x 6 - inch baking dish with the tablespoon of butter; set aside.

Place the cubes of bread in a large bowl; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, whiskey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over the bread and gently stir to combine. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Transfer the bread mixture to the baking dish and bake until the center of the bread pudding is set, 45 to 50 minutes.

While the bread pudding is baking, make the whiskey sauce.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, and sugar. Place the cornstarch, whiskey, and whiskey flavoring into a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

Pour the whiskey mixture into the cream mixture and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt, and stir in the butter.

After the bread pudding has finished baking, remove from the oven and pour Whiskey Sauce over the top; serve warm.

Makes 2 massive appetite servings or 4 regular ones.

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If you like your bread pudding with a bit of chocolate added, then you will love Sunset 44 Bistro's Bread Pudding.

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