Food Guy's Gumbo

I love Creole cooking.  I love the boldness of the flavors and the earthiness of the spices.  I’ve been making gumbo for a few years now, and I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of it.  Everyone makes gumbo different.  This is my version. 

1 cup oil
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium chopped onion
1 large chopped bell pepper (red or green)
1 lb Andouille sausage
1 lb chicken (cut into chunks)
1 lb crawfish tails
1 Qt chicken stock
1-2 bay leaves
Palm full of fresh parsley & thyme chopped
Salt & Pepper
File Powder (optional)
Hot sauce (garnish)
Scallions (garnish)
Rice (cooked)

I start in a large pot (a Dutch oven would be best, but I don’t own one yet).  The first step is to make a roux.  You can do this ahead of time, but I always make it fresh.  Heat to medium-high.  Add 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1 2/3 cup of flour.  Constantly stir with a wooden spoon.  You may need to adjust the heat of your stove because you can’t let this burn.  If any black spots appear, you’ll need to start over.  As you stir you’ll notice the roux thicken and start to turn a darker shade.  I look for a dark peanut butter color before I move on to the next step.

On the side, brown the sausage in a nonstick skillet. 

Once the proper color is achieved in my roux I add in the trinity (onions, celery & peppers).  Stir in and cook for 5 minutes.  After the vegetables are slightly tender add stock slowly and stir while adding it as to avoid roux chunks.  If using low sodium stock add some salt at this point.  Also add the bay leaf and a few grinds of black pepper. 

Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Add the browned sausage (it’s a good idea to pat the sausage dry if it looks greasy).  Simmer on low for 45 minutes until broth reduced and thickens.  About half way through this I add the thyme. 

Once reduced by about 1/4 add the chicken.  I use all white meat cut into chunks.  Add parsley.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through.  Then add the crawfish tails.  I use frozen tails that I thaw out slightly before adding to the pot (it’s all that’s available in New England).  Since these are cooked, they only need to simmer until they are hot all the way through.  

Serving suggestion:  I like to serve my gumbo in a bowl with a large scoop of rice in the middle.  Then I sprinkle on some fresh scallions and a pinch of file powder and add a few dashes of hot sauce.

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

I haven’t eaten out much lately, but the Wife and I have been revisiting some of our old recipes using new tools, spices, or techniques to try and change things up a bit.  Recently we made grilled quesadillas.  I worked at a Mexican restaurant for many years as a cook and learned the basic technique of building a good quesadilla.  In my mind the perfect quesadilla has tender juicy meat, fresh slightly crunchy vegetables, a crisp tortilla, and tons of flavor.  Here’s what we did this time. 

I started out with three trimmed skinless boneless chicken breasts.  I seasoned them with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, ancho chili powder, and a dash of habanero flakes.  A store bought mixture will work just as well, but go for something smoky and slightly spicy.  Those were grilled on our outdoor grill (Yes, I grill in the winter).  

Using my new found favorite grill toy…I mean tool, I cut up a red and green bell pepper and a sweet yellow onion.  They were lightly seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper.  I like to keep my veggies simple.  Those too were grilled, but not too much.  I like my veggies to still have a crunch to them when they are cooked and not turn into vegetable mush.

After the food on the grill was cooked, it was time to assemble and finish the meal.  After letting the chicken rest for a few minutes, I cut it up into manageable sized pieces.  I then take an 8” flour tortilla and add chicken, vegetables, and some shredded cheese.  I like to use pepper jack, but you can use anything you want.  I would suggest staying away from cheddar as it tends to be oily when it melts.  I then fold the quesadilla in half and finish it on my Panini grill (not pictured).  I could finish it on my outdoor grill, but then I’d have to go outside again, and it’s cold in Connecticut in the winter.  

After the cheese melts and the tortilla has a nice crisp to it, I remove it from the Panini grill, cut it into 4 pieces, and plate with a dollop of sour cream and some salsa.  In the past I have made a side dish of rice to accompany the main course, but this time I was out of rice.  

There are several variations to this meal that you can adjust to your own tastes.  Use beef instead of chicken, or a flavored tortilla.  Even use more vegetables such as yellow squash or mushrooms.  The possibilities are endless.  

Average Food Guy's Take on Home made Pizza (Thin Crust!)

Home made pizza is a challenge for most people.  I'll admit that I stuggeled with it several times.  Pizza is a complicated food, with several parts all assembled on top of the single item that is most important to making or breaking a good home made pizza.  The crust.  I was born and raised in New England, so I am a big fan of thin crust.  I'm not going to get into the debate of NY style vs. Chicago style.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions.  Plus, neither are my favorite.  I prefer New Haven style pizza.  What is that you ask?  It's similar to New York style, except perfected, and a hell of a lot closer to home.  Here is my quick and easy version.

Ingredients:

Fresh dough (buy from local grocer or Italian deli)

Flour

Olive Oil

Garlic, chopped

Sauce (jarred or home made)

Shredded mozzarella (or fresh if you prefer)

Stick pepperoni, chopped into chunks

Green/Red bell pepper, sliced

Yellow onion, sliced

Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme)

Fresh basil (for garnish)

Parmasean Reggiano

So, to start, preheat your oven to 450 with the rack in the middle.   Lightly oil a cookie sheet with olive oil.  Flour your hands and the outside of the dough.  Do not use too much as you will make the dough stiff and chewy.

Starting from the center, knead the dough towards the edges, being careful to keep a consistant thickness.  This is the hardest part and will take some practice.  Try to cover the whole cookie sheet with your dough.  Once satisfied with the dough, stab with a fork all over the surface (to prevent bubbles).  Lightly oil the top of the dough and sprinkle with Italian seasonings.  Bake for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, you dough should start to brown slightly and be stiff, but not dry and crunchy.  Remove from oven.  Spread sauce over dough.  Then evenly distribute garlic and pepperoni.  Add cheese, peppers, and onions to the pizza.  Feel free to add any other toppings you like at this time.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Once all the cheese is melted and peppers are slightly soft from baking, remove from oven.  Sprinkle with grated parmesean and broil until cheese is melted.  I like mine just when it starts to brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  

Slice and eat!