Chicken and Cornish Hen Gumbo
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 quarts water or chicken
broth
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 (4 1/2 pound) frying chicken,
skinned and cut into 8 pieces
- 1 (1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pound Cornish
hens, skinned and cut into 8 pieces
- 2 medium chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 finely chopped green bell
peppers
- 4 chopped ribs celery
- 1 tablespoon file powder
- 1 teaspoon concentrated crab
and shrimp boil (or 1 teaspoon
- cayenne pepper, 1 bay leaf,
1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground
black pepper
- 1/2 pound coarsely chopped
tasso, Cajun ham or smoked ham
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green
scallion tops
- 8 finely chopped sprigs flat-leaf
parsley
To make the dry roux, heat
a large black cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the
flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon from the middle
of the skillet outward until the flour is the color of cinnamon,
about 30 minutes. Take the roux out of the skillet and set aside
in a bowl. (You may make the roux ahead of time and store it,
tightly sealed, in a jar or plastic bag in the freezer).
In a large casserole bring
the water or broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a large,
heavy skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is
hot but not smoking. Lower the heat to medium and brown the poultry
in the oil in batches until golden, about 3 minutes on each side.
Drain the meat on paper towels and add it to the casserole of
simmering water or broth. Drain all but three tablespoons of
the oil from the skillet. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, celery
and file powder and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently,
until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. (The file will become
ropy at first, but will liquefy as it cooks).
Add the vegetables to the
casserole and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Put two
cups of the simmering broth in a separate bowl, whisk in the
dry roux a little at a time, continue to whisk until it is smooth.
Add the roux mixture, a spoonful at a time, to the casserole,
stirring until all the wet roux has dissolved and there are no
lumps. Add the crab boil, salt, pepper and diced tasso. Reduce
heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken and Cornish hens
are tender, about one hour. Serve over rice and garnish with
the chopped scallions and parsley.
Let guests add file powder
and hot sauce to taste.
12 servings - Kenneth Henke
Crock Pot Red Beans
- 1 (16 ounce) bag dry red
kidney beans
- 1 ham bone or bone-in ham
hocks
- 1 large chopped bell pepper
- 1 large chopped onion
- 3 stalks chopped celery (leaves
included)
- 1 small finely chopped carrot
- 1 tablespoon Tobasco or red
pepper sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon sage
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 cup red wine
- Water to cover all ingredients
- 3 tablespoons garnish (chopped
fresh parsley and green onions)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
Put everything except the
garnish in the crock pot on low heat. Cook covered for 6-10 hours.
Check liquid level, adding water if needed to cover the beans.
If there is too much liquid, turn the heat on high and leave
the pot uncovered for a few minutes. Reduce heat for several
hours or until ready to serve. Beans should be very tender. Remove
bones and bay leaves and garnish before serving. Serve over rice
with grilled or smoked sausage. May be frozen.
This recipe is more wholesome
than some, since the vegetables are no sautéed in oil.
For an even leaner recipe, trim fat from ham, bring the ham to
a boil on the stove top and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Skim
the oil from the surface, retaining the water to use in the recipe.
10 servings - Anne Simon
Li'l Jeanne's Birthday Cake
Step I:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
Combine in a large mixing
bowl.
Step II:
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1 stick margarine
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened
cocoa
Combine with dry mixture in
mixing bowl. Beat at low speed for 1 minute.
Step III:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Take 2 eggs and beat well.
Mix into bowl 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
Add to other ingredients. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda
over mixture. Mix one minute. Pour into 11x8x2-inch pan and bake
at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Ice while hot.
Icing:
- 1 stick margarine
- 6 tablespoons evaporated
milk
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened
cocoa
- 1 box confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Bring first 3 ingredients
to a boil in a saucepan. Pour into mixing bowl and add confectioner's
sugar and extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour over hot
cake and let cool. - Fay Bowen
- Tell Me More
A Cookbook Spiced with Cajun Traditions
and Food Memories
By The Junior League of Lafayette,
Inc.
Publication Date: September 1993
- $16.95- Plastic Spiral Binding - Amazon@TKL
- Save 20% - ORDER
- ISBN: 0-935032-25-8
The Recipe
Link - http://www.recipelink.com
|
