Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler!

Yesterday being Mardi Gras, I made red beans and rice for Linette and gumbo for me.  I don't know if I make gumbo "correctly", but it does taste great.  Here's what you need:

• 4 oz. vegetable oil
• 4 oz. flour
• an onion, chopped
• a couple of celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
• a bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• as much garlic as you like, 
• 4 cups or so of chicken stock
• a bay leaf
• creole seasoning
• Stuff you want to put in it (see below)

Preheat your oven to 350.  Whisk together the oil and the flour in a large pot.  Put the pot into the oven and let it cook until it is dark brown, about an hour and a half.  Take the pot out of the oven and put it on the stove over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, and pepper and cook them until they soften a bit.  Throw in the garlic and let it soften.  Add the stock and the bay leaf and seasoning.

Ok, that's the base.  Now where you go from here is up to you.  Last night I made chicken and sausage gumbo.  I added andouille sausage and cut up boneless skinless chicken thighs.  I then let the gumbo simmer for a bet to have the flavors meld.  But you can add whatever you like.  If you're doing seafood, you can add those just a few minutes before serving and instead of chicken stock you could used fish stock or clam juice.  Of course okra is a common additive to gumbo; it thickens it and adds a unique flavor.  My wife doesn't like okra, so I leave it out.  You can also add file powder (ground sassafras), but that's optional too.

With all the possible variations, gumbo is a many splendored thing.

Poulet Au Vinaigre

I made this French chicken dish which comes from Lyon and it was absolutely delicious.  The sauce is superb. Here's what you need in software: 

• A chicken cut up into 8 pieces.  
• A few cloves of garlic, minced.  
• Four or so shallots, also minced.  
• A cup of white wine and a half a cup of red wine vinegar. 
• A tablespoon each of honey and
• tomato paste. 
• A cup of chicken stock. 
• A half stick of unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons.  

For hardware you'll need:

• One large saucepan with a lid
• Tongs and a large spoon
• A fine strainer (optional)

Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.  Heat up a large sauce pan to medium high heat.  Add a mixture of butter and olive oil and heat up.  Working in batches brown the chicken on all sides.  Remove the chicken and most of the fat from the pan.  Saute the shallots and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.  De-glaze the pan with the wine and vinegar and honey.  Boil it down a bit.  Then add the tomato paste.  Reduce it a bit more.  Add the chicken stock and stir.  Put the chicken back into the sauce pan and reduce the heat to medium low and cover.  Cook for 45 minutes or so, basting the chicken from time to time.  When done, remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.  Increase the heat to high and boil down the sauce until it thickens.  Take the pan off the heat and strain the sauce (optional).  Return the sauce to the pan and swirl the butter in one T. at a time until it thickens.  Serve the sauce alongside the chicken.  Serve with a macaroni au gratin or mashed potatoes and some green beans.  Also, some good bread.  You'll need it to sop up the sauce.  Bon Appetit!

All Out Lasagna Bolognese and Homemade Ricotta

I cooked this No Holds Barred Lasagna yesterday and it was VERY good, even though we were out of Parmesan cheese.  One of the things that made it really good was home-made ricotta cheese.  It was incredibly easy to make.  You take 2 cups WHOLE milk, 1/4 t. salt, and 2 T. white vinegar, stir 'em together, zap them in the microwave for 4 minutes, then stir for 5-10 seconds until the curds are separate from the whey.  Spoon off the curds into a colander lined with a couple layers of cheese cloth and let drain.  Drain for 5 minutes for something very creamy that you're going to use immediately, drain 15-20 minutes for use in lasagna and ravioli, drain overnight for pastries like ricotta pancakes or gnocchi.