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Reserve your Turducken today! Don't get caught in the holiday rush. Here's How

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Sunday December 13th, 2009

Turkey Bone Gumbo

TURKEY BONE GUMBO

What to do with your turkey carcass? Every year around this time, my friends call me for this recipe. If you don’t already have this, make a copy to put in your recipe files.

A friend of mine goes around his neighborhood on the day after Thanksgiving to gather any unwanted turkey carcasses to make one fine gumbo. The carcasses are simmered in water and other seasonings for a few hours to render a rich broth, which is the basis for the gumbo. Nothing goes better (well, you could serve baked sweet potatoes like some people do in south Louisiana) with gumbo than potato salad and hot crusty French bread.

Put the call out to your friends and neighbors to save you their turkey carcasses and settle in for the better part of the afternoon to make this delicious gumbo.

TURKEY BONE GUMBO

Makes 8 to 10 servings

3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 pound smoked sausage, chopped (optional)
1/2 gallon turkey broth (recipe follows)
1 1/2 pounds turkey meat, chopped, plus any reserved meat from the carcass in the broth
Reserved onions and celery from broth
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

In a large cast-iron pot or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, combine the oil and flour. Stirring constantly and slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the turkey meat, the reserved onions and celery and cook for 15 minutes. Add the parsley and green onions. Serve in soup bowls with steamed rice.

Turkey broth

Makes about 1/2 gallon

1 turkey carcass
3 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 gallon of water, or enough water to cover the carcass
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 bay leaves

Place the carcass in a large stockpot. Add the celery, onions, water, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Remove from heat.

Skim any oil that has risen to the surface. Strain through a large fine-mesh sieve. Reserve any meat that has fallen off the bones and pick off any meat that may still remain on the carcass. Reserve the onions and celery.

Monday November 23rd, 2009

Seafood Gumbo

If you’re into making your very own seafood gumbo from scratch, here is a recipe you should try. You can order your shrimp from us!

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Serves 6

3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
5 bay leaves
8 cups water or shrimp stock
6 gumbo crabs, broken in half
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
2 dozen oysters, shucked with their liquor
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron pot over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.

Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until very soft. Add the water or shrimp stock and stir to blend. Add the crabs and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Add the shrimp and crabmeat and cook for 10 minutes. DON’T STIR LEST YOU BREAK UP THE CRABMEAT!

Add the oysters, green onions and parsley and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters curl. Remove from the heat. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with file powder passed at the table.

Tuesday November 3rd, 2009

Duck, Andouille and Oyster Gumbo

Hey, the ducks are on the move as they begin their southern migration and the hunters are heading out to their camps along the marshland braces that border the Gulf of Mexico. If the avid sportsmen get their limit you can be sure there will be a pot of simmering gumbo on the stove, or maybe a pot of ducks have been shoved into the oven to slow-roast while the gentlemen banter back and forth about their day in the blinds. My father was a great outdoorsman, but he was a better cooker of wild birds. This gumbo was one of his favorites. The ducks and smoky andouille simmered for a couple of hours before he added salty Louisiana oysters to the pot just before serving. Wow! The flavors in this gumbo will certainly tickle your taste buds. Better get lots of French bread with which to sop of the bottom of your bowl. And of course, you’ll need some rice, so choose your favorite from our selection. DUCK, ANDOUILLE AND OYSTER GUMBO Makes about 8 servings

2 mallards, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup plus 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped bell peppers
6 to 8 cups water or chicken stock
1 pound andouille, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
2 dozen oysters, shucked, with their liquor
3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Season the ducks pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large, heavy pot (preferably black iron) over medium heat. Add the duck pieces and brown, stirring often. Remove the duck and set aside. To the same pot add the remaining 1 cup vegetable oil and the flour. Stirring constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft. Add the water or stock (the amount will depend on how thick or thin you like your gumbo). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the duck pieces and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours. Add the andouille and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Add the oysters and their liquid and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters curl. Remove from the heat. Add the parsley and serve immediately over steamed rice in gumbo bowls. Flavors in this gumbo will certainly tickle your taste buds. Better get lots of French bread with which to sop of the bottom of your bowl. And of course, you’ll need some rice, so choose your favorite from our selection.

Wednesday January 14th, 2009

Carnival Season

The Christmas holidays are behind us and we in Louisiana are heading right into the Carnival season which begins January 6 or Twelfth Night when the King’s Cake or Gateau du Roi is customarily served. It was first served to celebrate the visit of the Christ child by the three Magi but now it officially opens the Carnival season—a fest of drinking, eating and merrymaking. The word Carnival is from the Latin carne (meat) and vale (farewell). Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. Knowing that the next day after Shrove Tuesday is Ash Wednesday, which opens the Lenten season, a time of fasting, everyone is prepared to stuff himself with all the good things our state has to offer. Even before the Christmas decorations are put away King Cakes appear in supermarkets, bakeries and convenience stores. Years ago, a small coin or token, perhaps a bean or pecan half was hidden in the cake. Whoever finds the treasure (these days it’s usually a tiny ceramic or plastic baby doll) is to host the next King’s Cake party the following week. The ring-shaped cake is usually decorated with sugar tinted in the classic carnival colors of green, gold and purple symbolizing Faith, Power and Justice. The original cakes were made of a simple but rich yeast dough. Today many of them are filled with cream cheese, cinnamon, pecans and a host of other sweet delights. During the time leading up to the big day, Mardi Gras, there are parties, parades, balls and numerous soirees at which a wide assortment of gastronomic delights ranging from dainty canapés and finger sandwiches to hearty gumbos and jambalayas are enjoyed. No matter where you live, you too can get into the Carnival spirit. Order your king cakes NOW. For before and after parade parties, whip up a batch of jambalaya. Try one of our prepared mixes or make it from scratch. Make a gumbo of chicken and sausage, or one with seafood. And don’t forget the andouille sausage! You’ll need plenty of that for both jambalaya and gumbo. Another thing you can do with andouille sausage is make po-boys. Grill the sausage, split open a loaf of French bread, dress it with Creole mustard or dab it with warm Jack Miller’s barbecue sauce, and tuck in the sausage—you’ll be very happy. Serve the sandwiches with lots of Zapp’s Potato Chips or this great, colorful pasta salad.