A BOWL FULL OF SOUL

A BOWL FULL OF SOUL

There seems to be a shift in the atmosphere. I’ve even noticed that the sunsets are starting to linger. When I was growing up, I looked for signs that the seemingly long dark Winter was almost over. The start of Spring meant fresh and bright flavors with the season’s new menus. When I was young, Sunday meals stood apart from the rest of the week. As a "grown-up" I never strayed from that tradition. Even as a singleton, I enjoyed hosting Sunday events for friends that was sure to impress the crowd. From Bellini Brunches complete with a Drag Gospel Choir to Alfresco Candlelight Curry Dinners complete with a spice level chart.

But in retirement I pride myself on Soulful Sundays as a chance to cook traditional foods from every corner of this bountiful country of ours. Like the festive tones of a traditional New Orleans brass band parade there is no better way to honor the hard work of the family farmers and the food processors. Although the pandemic has kept me from inviting friends and family over, I do make enough to share on occasion with a neighbor, friends or family with a contactless delivery. To cap Black History Month I have to pay homage to one of life's culinary guilty pleasures. In my humble opinion, Creole Cuisine is the absolute BEST representation of Soul Food.

Creole cooking combines the cuisines and ingredients of West Africa, France, Germany, and Choctaw (Eastern Indigenous Peoples). The freshest and finest of Louisiana cooking is Gumbo. Gumbo is so easy to make and takes very little time to prepare while delivering an elegant meal with amazing flavors and bright beautiful results. Seafood Gumbo is what my mother calls a bowl full of soul. Anytime you start with a Roux and The Holy Trinity you are on the road to heaven, so you may as well honor Sunday with the dish.

Any good cook would tell you that it's considered malpractice if you don't use the freshest of ingredients when making a Seafood Gumbo. Choose your seafood wisely. If you are not buying directly from the docks, then purchase the seafood close to the natural form, thereby ensuring the most natural flavor. Whole crab claws, shucked oysters with their liquor, white fish filets without any smell, and peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on.

By now you can assume that I am the kind of girl who goes big or goes home. Some recipes call for sausage which adds the smoky taste so familiar to Soul Food. I say Andouille or Bust! If you can't find real Andouille, just leave it out. Don't go adding Italian sausage or some other kind of pork as a substitution. It will taste perfectly well without the Andouille but a substitution will totally alter the flavor and you will have strayed from Cajun cooking.

No shade to my colleauges at the CIA, but I am not ashamed to admit that the only chef whose recipes that I have incorporated into my personal keepsake catalog are from Chef Emeril Lagasse. Much like the skilled ladies in my mother’s church kitchens, he’s the only chef who really cooks with flavors that I want to taste more than once. Chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurants always feature a Gumbo and they never disappoint. Therefore, I will share his recipe but I alter the recipe with the use of Andouille. Turning this bowl of goodness into a Bowl Full of LOVE. When life returns to some semblance of normal, I encourage you to make Sundays special by starting a tradition that will make memories for you and your loved ones. Cheers!

Emeril Lagasse’s Seafood Gumbo

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions

• 3/4 cup finely chopped green bell peppers

• 3/4 cup finely chopped celery

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• One 12-ounce bottle amber beer

• 6 cups Shrimp Stock

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 pound gumbo crabs (about 2)

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 pound white fish fillets, such as catfish, grouper, snapper, or sole

• 1 tablespoon Emeril's Original Essence

• 2 cups shucked oysters with their liquor

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 cup chopped tender green onion tops

• White Rice, for serving

  DIRECTIONS

  • Place an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, and add the oil. Allow the oil to heat for about 5 minutes, then add the flour to the pot. Stir the oil and flour together with a wooden spoon to form a Roux. Lower the heat to medium low and continue to stir the Roux for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the color of milk chocolate. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery to the Roux and stir to blend. Stir the vegetables for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds before adding the beer and Shrimp Stock to the pot. Season the gumbo with the thyme, bay leaves, gumbo crabs, Worcestershire, salt, and cayenne. Bring the gumbo to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer the gumbo for 1 hour, skimming the foam and any oil that rises to the surface.

  • Season both the shrimp and the catfish with 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence. Stir the shrimp and fish into the gumbo and cook for 2 minutes. Add the oysters to the pot and cook, stirring often, for an additional 5 minutes. Taste the gumbo and season if necessary.

  • Garnish with the parsley and green onions and serve in shallow bowls over white rice.