Chef Mik's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo gets its name from the slaves who were brought to Louisiana to work the plantations for the French sometime in the in the late 15 to early 1600’s, those who worked in the big house learned the cuisine of their masters, and in the case of the French one their favorites was bouillabaisse, which the slaves prepared making do with what they had available and one of their chief ingredients they brought with them from the motherland was okra otherwise known as “gumbo” in Western Africa. Gumbo doesn’t really resemble bouillabaisse anymore but has gone on to become an American classic and has been reinterpreted in several way’s sense its inception the most popular being chicken gumbo typically thought of as New Orleans style, which is prepared with the addition of smoked sausage, most commonly andouille sausage which is a very flavorful some what spicy smoked sausage who’s roots can be traced back to the Germans arrival and with them their sausage making techniques

Gumbo is easy enough to make, the trickiest part is the roux but that’s just a question of a little time and patients, you can cook yours on high but I wouldn’t recommend it once you scorch it, you’ll just have to start all over again. So I say why bother, put the time in and take pride in the end result!! You can prep a large batch ahead of time so it is ready to use whenever you need it, you can add it to sautéed vegetables and continue on as normal or just heat it up and add your vegetables, the most common combination is onion, celery, and bell pepper, the so called “holy trinity” (Cajon/ Creole mirepoix), as for the spice mix both Cajon and Creole spice mix are quite similar so we have worked out our own and use it for both, if you would like to try our mix we will list it below, as for the protein you can buy cooked shrimp or you can also poach your own in a simple court bullion ahead of time and use that broth as the basis of your gumbo or use a nice shellfish stock, I think fish stock is fine besides if you leave the tails on the shrimp they will still pick up a little of that flavor if that is what you are looking for, lastly remember gumbo is not intended to be a fancy dish its just meant to be enjoyed, that said today I will be sautéing my shrimp and adding them a la minute

Here at FoodPerfected we offer seafood and chicken gumbo; we also offer rabbit, duck, and alligator, crawfish, and lobster verities. As the name of the dish would suggest we use okra whenever possible regardless if we are preparing the seafood version or not
Spice Mix: (this is enough for two recipes)
3 TBS paprika + 1 TBS smoked papriks
2 TBS garlic powder or granulated garlic
2 TBS onion powder
2 TBS oregano
1 TBS thyme
1 TBS celery seed powdered
1 TBS chili powder (cayenne) or as desired
1 TBS white pepper
1 TBS black pepper
1 tbs salt

Shopping List

Flour

Canola oil

Fish stock

Diced tomatoes

Shrimp, shells removed (I am using tiger)

Crab, shells removed

Oysters, chucked

okra

Parsley

Bay leaves

Spice mix, (see above) 

My Mad Method

To prepare the roux equal parts oil and flour (1.5-2 dl each)

I like to prepare my roux in an iron skillet though it’s not a necessity

Using a wire whisk mix well to prevent burning and prevent lumps from forming

As the roux cooks it will slowly start to build in color such as here we have a blond roux

As you cook the roux the bubbles will dissipate and you will start to notes something of a toasted nut scen

This would be just about peanut colored

At this point the roux has been cooking about 20 minutes and this caramel color is fine but i want to keep going and take it further

My finished roux about 30 minutes in all, remove from heat and remember the pan is still hot so the roux if not attended will continue to cook

Off the heat transfer the roux to a Dutch oven (large pot) as quickly as possible to prevent further cooking and add 1 green bell pepper (medium dice), 1 onion (medium dice) and 2 stalks of stalk celery (medium dice) cook on moderate heat until vegetables have softened and are somewhat translucent

Use 1/4 spice mix and coat 450g chickens about a half hour ahead of time

Brown in about 1-2 TBS oil, then transfer to a Dutch oven with the trinity

I am using chicken thighs boneless and skinless but you can use a whole chicken or hen divided up

In the same fat you browned the chicken in quickly brown off about 4 sausage links (about 450g)

I am using andouille sausage

Add the sausages to Dutch oven

Add the remaining quarter of the spice mix, mix to combine

Add 1-1.2L chicken stock, 4-5 dl stewed tomatoes and 1 bay leaf, bring to a boil, reduce heat simmer 30 minutes, remove the sausage and chicken, continue cooking 15 minutes longer, slice the sausage and chicken, add them back to the soup along with 200g sliced sautéed okra, cook an extra 10 minutes, add chopped parley adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, remove from heat and let stand about 5 minutes

Ready to serve!!

You can serve over rice if desired

At the table make sure you have some nice hot sauce and "gumbo file" (sassafras in powdered form

Chef Mik's Seafood Gumbo

Gumbo gets its name from the slaves who were brought to Louisiana to work the plantations for the French sometime in the in the late 15 to early 1600’s, those who worked in the big house learned the cuisine of their masters, and in the case of the French one their favorites was bouillabaisse, which the slaves prepared making do with what they had available and one of their chief ingredients they brought with them from the motherland was okra otherwise known as “gumbo” in Western Africa. Gumbo doesn’t really resemble bouillabaisse anymore but has gone on to become an American classic and has been reinterpreted in several way’s sense its inception the most popular being chicken gumbo typically thought of as New Orleans style, which is prepared with the addition of smoked sausage, most commonly andouille sausage which is a very flavorful some what spicy smoked sausage who’s roots can be traced back to the Germans arrival and with them their sausage making techniques

Gumbo is easy enough to make, the trickiest part is the roux but that’s just a question of a little time and patients, you can cook yours on high but I wouldn’t recommend it once you scorch it, you’ll just have to start all over again. So I say why bother, put the time in and take pride in the end result!! You can prep a large batch ahead of time so it is ready to use whenever you need it, you can add it to sautéed vegetables and continue on as normal or just heat it up and add your vegetables, the most common combination is onion, celery, and bell pepper, the so called “holy trinity” (Cajon/ Creole mirepoix), as for the spice mix both Cajon and Creole spice mix are quite similar so we have worked out our own and use it for both, if you would like to try our mix we will list it below, as for the protein you can buy cooked shrimp or you can also poach your own in a simple court bullion ahead of time and use that broth as the basis of your gumbo or use a nice shellfish stock, I think fish stock is fine besides if you leave the tails on the shrimp they will still pick up a little of that flavor if that is what you are looking for, lastly remember gumbo is not intended to be a fancy dish its just meant to be enjoyed, that said today I will be sautéing my shrimp and adding them a la minute

Here at FoodPerfected we offer seafood and chicken gumbo; we also offer rabbit, duck, and alligator, crawfish, and lobster verities. As the name of the dish would suggest we use okra whenever possible regardless if we are preparing the seafood version or not
Spice Mix: (this is enough for two recipes)
3 TBSP paprika + 1 TBS smoked papriks
2 TBSP garlic powder or granulated garlic
2 TBSP onion powder
2 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP thyme
1 TBSP celery seed powdered
1 TBSP chili powder (cayenne) or as desired
1 TBSP white pepper
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP salt

Shopping List

Flour

Canola oil

Fish stock

Diced tomatoes

Shrimp, shells removed (I am using tiger)

Crab, shells removed

Oysters, chucked

okra

Parsley

Bay leaves

Spice mix, (see above) 

My Mad Method

To prepare the roux equal parts oil and flour (1.5-2 dl each)

I like to prepare my roux in an iron skillet though it’s not a necessity

Using a wire whisk mix well to prevent burning and prevent lumps from forming

As the roux cooks it will slowly start to build in color such as here we have a blond roux

As you cook the roux the bubbles will dissipate and you will start to notes something of a toasted nut scent

This would be just about peanut colored

At this point the roux has been cooking about 20 minutes and this caramel color is fine but i want to keep going and take it further

My finished roux about 30 minutes in all, remove from heat and remember the pan is still hot so the roux if not attended will continue to cook

Off the heat transfer the roux to a Dutch oven (large pot) as quickly as possible to prevent further cooking and add 1 green bell pepper (medium dice), 1 onion (medium dice) and 2 stalks of stalk celery (medium dice) cook on moderate heat until vegetables have softened and are somewhat translucent

Add 1-1.2L fish stock, 4-5dl stewed tomatoes, 1 TBS tomato paste, half of the spice mix + 1 bay leaf, stir bring to boil lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes

Recipe for spice mix can be found on into page

When ready add 300g each crab meat, medium shrimp, and oysters plus a little of their juice, 200 sautéed okra, cook 10-12 minutes longer, season with salt and pepper and some chopped parsley

If desired you can add or substitute scallops 

Ready to serve!!

Here is the plated version, serve with some good hot sauce and "gumbo file" which is dried sassafras in powdered form it thickens somewhat so be careful with it

Ready to eat!!

Chef Mik's Red Beans and Rice

There is a dish in Sweden named “ärtsoppa” (Swedish style (yellow) split pea soup) enjoyed on Thursdays which is in composition quite similar to the red beans portion of red beans and rice, traditionally enjoyed in Louisiana on Mondays using the bones along with whatever left over’s were available, more often then not ham and/or ham bones, today salt pork, pickled pork or tasso which is a portion of ham from either the shoulder or butt that has been cured according to Cajon/Creole traditions and then slowly smoked for 2 to 3 days are often used in place of left over’s, more over now a days there are countless versions of this recipe some of which with meat some not, some using sausage while others not so much, some recipes call for stock or broth which is fine, although I am not using any myself as I will be building flavor profiles layer by layer over the entirety of the cooking process through the ingredients and seasonings used, while I won’t be using a Cajon or Creole spice mix this time around many people do so I am including a recipe for our in house blend, both spice mixes are quite similar to one another so we just use ours with either Cajon or Creole cuisine, when it comes to vegetables you can keep it simple with just some onions and maybe some celery or add green bell pepper, together these three are known as the “holy trinity”, techniques very in terms of cooking methods applied to the beans most people preferring to cook the beans stove top while others prepare them in the oven, I remember when I was in New Orleans the person I was staying with prepared hers in a slow cooker over the coarse of 2 and a half days, needless to say it was by far and a way the best dish I had during my stay there, in fact it was so good before I was done I ended up having 4 bowls of the stuff, unfortunately this was the same day I was heading back to Los Angeles by air plain and do to hazardous weather conditions it took 11 agonizing hours before we finally touched down at L.A.X.

Spice Mix: (this is enough for two recipes)
3 TBS paprika + 1 TBS smoked paprika
2 TBS garlic powder or granulated garlic
2 TBS onion powder
2 TBS oregano
1 TBS thyme
1 TBS celery seed powdered
1 TBS chili powder (cayenne) or as desired
1 TBS white pepper
1 TBS black pepper
1 tbs salt

Shopping List

Small red beans

Andoulle sausages

Ham shank

Onion

Celery

Green bell pepper

Spice blend homemade or store bought

My Mad Method

Day 1, rinse and soak 450g red beans over night in plenty of fresh water

Day 2, the beans will now have been reconstituted and will be ready to cook

Drain and rinse the beans well

Dice 1 onion

Dice about 3 stalks of celery

Dice 1 green bell pepper

Sauté the onions, celery and bell peppers in either canola oil, olive oil, lard, bacon drippings or shortening to desired consistency, add 2-3 cloves garlic minced, 1 ts thyme, ½ ts cayenne pepper, ½ ts granulated garlic, and ½ ts paprika stir for about a minute longer

Add 1.5 liter water, broth or stock, the beans, 1 ham shank (about 400g), and 1 or 2 bay leaves, bring to boil reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours

For drier beans reduce liquid by 2.5-5 dl, for soupier result add an additional 5 dl liquid

Meanwhile slice 4 sausage links (combined weight 350 g)

I am using Andoulle sausages, but Polish kielbasa or other preferred sausage is fine

Remove ham shank from the beans after the first two hours or when you notice the meat pulling away from the bones

Remove the flesh from the ham shank

In a separate bowl or container puree about 5 dl of the beans to use as the thickening agent, return the thickened bean paste, the ham along and the sausage to the pot with the beans and continue to cook about 30 minutes longer or until desired tenderness

When the beans are ready adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste

Ready to serve!!

 

Ready to eat!!

Shown here mounted on steamed long grain rice

Serve with hot sauce

 

Chef Mik's Chicken Pot Pie

While there are many such savory pies found in the world today, the American version differs quite substantially, most often times baked in pie tin and sealed with pie dough, it can be found throughout the year though its most common from the beginning of fall through winter, it’s a great way to use up leftovers and can be prepared with any combination of ingredients you like, more often then not some form of cooked chicken, potatoes, vegetables and sauce velouté, I am baking my pies in a potato crust, substituting wild rice in the filling, and using a white wine sauce in place of velouté, other forms of savory pies include quiche, English Sheppard’s pie, with mashed potato topping, or kidney pie with short bread bottom and toped with pie crust, back in Europe we use to make many dishes en croute one of my personal favorites would be lobster with chanterelles, though the lobster is not quite the same Stateside, at any rate this dish lends itself not just to your practical needs but your creativity as well!

Shopping List

Oven roasted chicken

Onions

Sweet bell peppers, a blend of colors

Butternut squash

Artichoke hearts

Wild rice

Peas

Lima beans

Store Bought or Homemade

White wine sauce: chicken broth, white wine, cream, flour butter

Pie crust: flour, butter, potato, egg, water, salt

My Mad Method

300g oven roasted chicken, scant

I am using both dark and light meat, shredded

100g grilled onions and peppers

100g butternut squash, diced and roasted

100g grilled artichoke hearts

200g wild rice, cooked

50g petite peas

50g lima beans

1L white wine sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl add a just enough sauce to coat throughout and act as a binder

Mix together well; be careful not to damage any of the ingredients

Fill a pie tin, 5dl soup bowl or ramekin with filling

Pore over sauce

Top with pie crust, make sure the edges are on tightly, brush with egg wash, make are slits, bake in a 175c preheated oven for circa 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown

Ready to serve!!