THE CHEF FROM HELL

I came up with the name for this gumbo one day after thinking about a story I heard that concerned Marie Laveau, the infamous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.  In the 1800's many folks, rich and poor alike, would come to see Marie to enlisht her spiritual aid in solving their romantic troubles.  Rumor has it that Marie could concoct a special gumbo that would enable her clients to capture the heart of another.  I'm not sure if my gumbo will have the same magical properties as the one Marie made but what the heck--give it a shot and see if it works on that special someone in your life!

Notes on making Gumbo:  I fear I may offend some traditionalists with this gumbo recipe because I do not start the gumbo with a roux---in this instance I prefer to add it later.  This will not restrict the flavor of the gumbo in any way.  Also, one of the ingredients may be difficult for you to find locally---gumbo file powder (ground sassafras leaves)---but it won't be gumbo without this fragrant powder, so if you need to order this, go to my Cajun Supermarket page.  If you don't have time to make your own cajun roux, I recommend the commercial roux (Bootsie's) that's available at the Cajun Supermarket page as well.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb unsalted Butter

1 large Spanish Onion, chopped coarse

3 stalks Celery, chopped coarse

1 large Green Bell Pepper, chopped coarse

1 tsp dried crushed Rosemary

2 TBS Gumbo File Powder

2 TBS Maderia Wine

6 cups Homestyle Shrimp Stock

Note: To view the recipe for the stock, go to Homestyle Shrimp Stock

1 lb fresh large Shrimp, chopped coarse

1 lb Crawfish Tails

1/4 lb fresh lump Crabmeat

1 Catfish fillet (8 oz), cubed

1 1/2 cups Cajun Roux

Note: To view my recipe for Cajun Roux, go to How To Make a Cajun Roux

1/4 cup Big Heat Mix

Note: Big Heat Mix is one of my spice mixes that I keep on hand for dishes such as Jambalaya and Gumbo.  To view the recipe for this spice mix, go to The Spice of Life

Cooking Procedure:

Pick through the crabmeat & discard any bits of shell you may find

Set this aside

Combine all of the ingredients for the dry spice mix in a bowl

Mix well & set aside

Melt the butter in a medium sized pot over high heat

Add the "cajun trinity" -- onions, celery, green bell pepper -- & the dry spice mix

Note: "Cajun trinity?! What's the..."  New Orleans has always been a town steeped in not only voodoo, but catholicism as well.  Thus, the often used trio of vegetables in gumbos and jambalayas (onions, green peppers & celery) were often referred to as "the holy trinity" (a nod to "the father, the son & the holy ghost").

Stir well & cook the vegetables down until the onions begin to turn clear, about 5 minutes

Add the crushed rosemary & gumbo file powder

Stir well

Cook for 2 minutes while stirring & scraping the bottom of the pot

Note: the gumbo file powder will cause the mixture in the pot to take on a slightly stringy appearance as it cooks; this is normal so do not panic!

Add the Maderia wine & stir well

Add 1 cup of the shrimp stock

Stir well, reduce heat to medium & let this simmer for another 5 minutes

Add the rest of the shrimp stock

Stir well & turn the heat up to high

When the liquid in the pot comes to a boil, start adding tablespoons of the cajun roux

Stir the gumbo well after each addition of roux

Once the roux has been incorporated into the gumbo, reduce heat to low

Add the catfish & crabmeat

Stir well & let your gumbo simmer for 1 hour

Make sure to stir & scrape the bottom of the pot from time to time

After 1 hour, add the crawfish

Stir well & let this simmer for 20 minutes

Add the shrimp

Stir well & let this simmer for another 10 minutes

To serve: Place mounds of rice in large bowls and ladle the gumbo over the rice.

To view my recipe for rice, go to Baked Rice

To read more about Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, go to Voodoo Dreams