The Official Chef Robert Irvine Blog

In the United States, Mardi Gras is inextricably linked with New Orleans, the city that is a national treasure and the birthplace of jazz. Thanks to the spirit of the people who rose to the occasion to rebuild when the flood waters brought by Hurricane Katrina receded, New Orleans is by many reports returning as a vibrant force in American culture. The hurricane affected people in many surrounding areas as well, and I had the great honor of meeting and cooking for some of them in a season 2 episode of Dinner: Impossible in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Many people seem to have a special place in their hearts for what they consider “home” having to do with the comfort of familiar people, things, and places. For disaster victims, much of what was familiar is often destroyed beyond recognition, leaving only a hazy memory. And yet, the people I met seem to have a connectedness with their home area that perhaps surpasses the norm. I think it has something to do with living on the delta or among the tidal pools, and experiencing the ebb and flow of nature that most people experience only minimally and occasionally in vacations by the seaside. Maintaining that bond with nature perpetuates a personal pride in being able to deal with whatever nature has to offer or “dish out” as the case may be. Despite having lost their homes and all their possessions, and enduring hardships such as living without utilities and/or in temporary shelters for incredibly long periods of time, many of the folks typified the spirit of Gulf shore residents who are determined to stay in the place that they know as home. Of course, debates are held about the economic wisdom of repeatedly re-building in a vulnerable area. But, one thing is for sure, we never want to lose their rich culture and cooking traditions.

I often think of all the wonderful people I met in Biloxi, Mississippi, as they continue to rebuild their lives especially those who generously pitched in to help me cook for their neighbors.

Gulf Coast Gumbo
Copyright 2009 Robert Irvine, All rights reserved.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound crawfish, rinsed well in several changes of cold water and eviscerated
1½ quarts (6 cups) chicken stock
1 pound 31-40 size shrimp, deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Chorizo sausage
1 large white onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced medium
1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and diced medium
½ cup flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 or 6 fresh or defrosted fresh frozen okra, stem-end removed and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
3 or 4 fresh scallions, white and tender green parts only, sliced
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and diced medium
3 large fresh tomatoes, seeds removed and medium diced
2 dozen shucked oysters
1 pound cooked lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
2 cups cooked white rice
1 to 2 tablespoons filé powder
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Method:
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the crayfish a little at a time so as not to stop the boil, and let cook until pink. Using a slotted spoon remove the crayfish and set aside until they are cool enough to handle. (Skim off and discard any impurities that have risen to the surface of the stock.) Now, remove the shells from the shrimp and add the shells to the pot of chicken stock, reserving the uncooked shrimp on at utility platter. Allow the shrimp shells to cook in the broth until pink, then strain the stock into another container and discard the shells.

While the shrimp shells are boiling, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Brown the sausage and remove to a platter until it is cool enough to handle. In the sausage drippings over medium heat, sauté the onion, celery, and green bell pepper until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Let cook for about 15- 20 minutes until it becomes a dark brown roux, monitoring to prevent burning.

While the roux is browning, slice down the sausage into ¼ inch to ½ inch pieces. Put the tomato paste in a small bowl and add some of the warm stock to make a slurry. Gradually whisk the warm stock and the tomato paste into the roux. Add the garlic powder, crushed red pepper, okra, parsley, scallions, red bell pepper, tomatoes and sausage. Cook over low heat until the okra – which contains a thickening agent – is tender, about 15 minutes, and the sausage is cooked through. While the mixture is cooking, remove the crayfish from their shells. (This is done by cracking the tail with both hands and forcing it back out through the curve of the tail.) Add the oysters and shrimp to the pot and cook about 5 minutes until the oysters are plump and the shrimp are pink. Remove pot from heat and carefully fold in the crab, trying to avoid breaking up the lumps.

To serve, place some rice on serving dish and spoon some gumbo over. Sprinkle with file powder and garnish with parsley.