When it comes to cooking Cajun and Creole dishes you will sometimes run across a recipe that calls for a roux. The roux is the foundation for many great sauces, gravies and of course gumbo.
Melt the butter, shortening or bacon drippings in thick pot or skillet. Add the flour and stir constantly until dark brown, being careful not to burn. If there is the slightest indication of over-browning, dispose of the roux and start over. Even a slightly burned sauce will ruin a savory dish. To this basic roux, add seasoning and stock to make various sauces and gravies.
Cut chicken into serving pieces and season generously. Cover the bottom of a heavt skillet with 2 tablespoons of salad oil and heat to frying temperature. Put in chicken pieces and move them around enough to keep them from sticking. Brown on both sides.
Saute the onion, bell pepper, and celery in the remaining oil. Add this to the chicken. Cover and cook in a 325 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours (may be left in longer).
Before serving, remove chicken to plate, spoon off the grease in the pan, and serve the remaining gravy over rice. Serves 8.
In a five-quart Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In three batches, brown the beef well, removing each batch with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook for five minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, salt and Tobasco sauce, and cook for one minute. Add the water and chilies and bring to a boil. Return the beef to the pot Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, or until the beef is tender.
Serve chili over rice with onions, cheese, and sour cream, if desired. Serves 4 to 6.
Clean shrimp and boil 5 minutes, saving stock. Using an iron skillet, make a roux by heating oil and mixing in flour, stirring constantly until well browned. Add onion and brown slightly. Add shrimp, salt and pepper. Stir until shrimp are coated with roux, and none of the roux and onion sticks to skillet. Add tomato paste and green peppers. Stir 15 minutes over moderate heat. Pour in 1 cup of hot shrimp stock and cook 15 minutes over moderate heat. Cook 1 hour slowly, and add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve over rice if desired. Serves 10 to 12.
Peel shrimp uncooked and devein. Make roux (dark) of flour and oil. Add shrimp to this for a few minutes stirring constantly. Set aside.
Smother okra and onions in oil. Add tomatoes when okra is nearly cooked. Then add water, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper. Add shrimp and roux to this. Cover and cook slowly for 30 minutes.
If okra is not used, add gumbo file' after turning off heat. Serve with rice.Serves 6 to 8 regular people or 2 Kajuns.
Note:
File' (fe-lay), is the powdered sassafras leaf made long ago by the Choctaw Indians. Whereas okra is cooked with the gumbo, file' is added after the gumbo is removed from the heat. Never add file' while gumbo is cooking because boiling after the file' is added tends to make the gumbo stringy and unfit for use.
The thickness of the gumbo depends on the amount of water. Gumbo is best served over mounds of hot rice in a large flat soup bowl.
Brown steak on both sides in 1 tablespoon shortening in large skillet. Remove from skillet; set aside. Add remaining shortening to skillet. Add flour, stirring constantly until golden brown. Add onion; cook until wilted. Add 2 cups water gradually to flour mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato sauce, Kitchen Bouquet, seasoning, green pepper and celery; mix well. Return steak to skillet, spooning sauce over steak. Cover.
Simmer until meat is tender. Add green onion tops and parsley. Simmer for 15 minutes longer. Serve with rice.
Season shrimp with 2 teaspoons salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl; mix until smooth. Combine batter and shrimp; stir until shrimp are well coated with batter. Drop shrimp into hot fat in clusters of 2 or 3 shrimp. Fry until light brown.