Recipe: Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

From Denny: This is a dish folks in Louisiana make often, especially during the summer and football season! It's easy to make. If you are allergic to shellfish or find it too expensive for your wallet right now - do like we do - make it with chicken and andouille sausage! Both versions are wonderful! This recipe is from a Louisiana tourism site.

Another version of gumbo Photo by foooooey @ flickr. This photo is of a gumbo based off of Chuck Taggert's Gumbo du Monde, found here - where he talks a lot in detail about the making of stock and gumbo. Enjoy!

Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Gumbo

From: Joel Ehrlich @ Experience New Orleans

Serves: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil (Denny: we like canola oil at our house, cleaner fresher taste and no cholesterol)

1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour

4 Stalks Celery, chopped coarse

2 Medium Onions, chopped coarse

2 Green Bell Peppers; seeded, cored & chopped

2 Bay Leaves

2 teapoons Salt

2 teaspoon Dried Oregano, crumbled

1/2 tsp Cayenne

40 ounces Clam Juice

28 ounces Canned Plum Tomatoes, drained & chopped

1 pound Smoked Andouille Sausage, halved lengthwise & cut into 1/4" slices

1/2 pound Okra, trimmed & cut crosswise into 1/4" slices

2 pounds Uncooked Medium Shrimp, peeled & de-veined

Cooked Long Grain Rice

2 Tomatoes, seeded & diced

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until it is almost smoking.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, until dark reddish brown (about 8 minutes).

Add the celery, onions and bell peppers at once.

Cook 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan.

Mix in the bay leaves, salt, oregano and cayenne.

Add the clam juice, canned plum tomatoes and sausage.

Boil 15 minutes.

Add the okra.

Reduce heat.

Simmer until the okra is tender (about 15 minutes).

Add the shrimp.

Simmer until just cooked through (about 3 minutes).

Mound rice in each soup bowl.

Ladle the gumbo over the rice.

Serve sprinkled with diced tomato.

shrimp andouille sausage gumbo new orleans tourism louisiana recipes seafood

Recipe: Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Tart

From Denny: When you really want something special just hike yourself on over to Epicurious.com for a chocolate delight! I found this easy to make special tart and thought you might enjoy.

Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Tart

From: Paul Grimes

Epicurious: "A triple layer of crumbly crust, a truffle-like interior, and an almost patent-leather-shiny glaze make this tart the chicest take on chocolate we've come across in a long time."

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 2 3/4 hr (includes cooling)

For crust:

9 (5- by 2 1/4-inch) chocolate graham crackers (not chocolate-covered), finely ground (1 cup)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

For filling:

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

For glaze:

2 tablespoon heavy cream

1 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon warm water

Equipment:

a 9-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep)

Make crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes

Make filling:

Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.

Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:

Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water

Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.

Cooks' note:

Tart is best the day it is made but can be made, without glaze, 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before glazing.

Photo from Epicurious.com

Paul Grimes Epicurious.com Conde Nast chocolate tart home cooking baking

Video: Nutriticious Ice Cream?

From Denny: Here's a good video to help us along with choosing better ice cream calories in this summer heat! The Early Show on CBS was doing a taste test of those ice creams and sorbets that were considered the tastiest, healthiest and also available nationwide. Take a look!


Watch CBS Videos Online

ice cream sorbet healthy diet food chocolate Haagen Das Ben and Jerry mango blueberry raspberry strawberry frozen yogurt

Recipe: Lean and Mean Texas Barbecued Brisket

Cover via Amazon

From Denny: Texas is right next door to Louisiana and the culture could not be more different! Both states borrow from each other when it comes to good food and Texas barbecue and the love of a good brisket is no exception. They love our seafood and Cajun seasonings; we love their barbecue! Brisket is very popular here during football season as most of the country knows that LSU fans are, well, a bit rabid about their fervor for the team! :)

Try this wonderful recipe one weekend when you have a little time, are expecting to feed a larger number of people than usual but would like to do it on a budget - brisket is perfect for that. One reason I like brisket is that it is much lower in fat than most meats. True, because of the lower fat content you must cook it far longer to make it tender. The resulting taste is sure worth it.

There are arguments all over the country as to dry rub (like in Kansas) vs. wet for barbecue, grilling vs. smoking, direct heat vs. indirect heat and gas vs. charcoal. Did you know that the first commercial barbecue sauce showed up in St. Louis in 1926? It was called Maull's Barbecue Sauce. By the 1970's the sauce went beyond it's local word of mouth and gained national recognition.

But do you know what most barbecue sauces contain? Some of the ingredients will surprise you! Of course, the majority are tomato-based. Then they start adding a variety of spices and other goodies: honey, molasses, mustard, brown sugar, hot sauce like Tobasco, ginger, soybean oil and yes, anchovies. Bet you didn't expect the anchovies! When used in small amounts they add a lot to many foods.

Lean and Mean Texas Barbecued Brisket

From: “How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques (Paperback)” by Steven Raichlen. For book, go here.

Serves: 10 - 12

Ingredients:

6 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or oak)
Cold water or beer

For the brisket and rub:

1 trimmed brisket (5 to 6 lbs.) with a layer of fat at least 1/2-inch thick

3 Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon coarse salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


For the vinegar-beer mop sauce:

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup beer

1 Tablespoon garlic salt

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes

1 teaspoon black pepper


Directions:

1. Soak wood chips or chunks in cold water or beer for 1 hour. Drain and discard liquid.

2. Rinse the brisket under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and stir to mix. Rub this mixture onto the brisket on all sides. If you have time, let the brisket stand in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 6 hours, but you certainly can cook it right away.

3. Combine all ingredients for the mop sauce in a nonreactive bowl and stir until the salt and brown sugar are dissolved.

4. Set up grill for indirect grilling and preheat to low. If using a gas grill, put all wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to low.

5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss 1 cup of wood chips on the coals.

6. Place the brisket, fat-side up, in an aluminum foil pan and place in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill. Grill the brisket until tender, about 6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the brisket and the heat of the grill). (See note.)

7. Baste or mop the brisket with the mop sauce once an hour for the first 4 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals and 1/2 cup wood chips per side every hour. To test for doneness, use an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature should be about 190 degrees.

8. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain, using an electric knife or sharp carving knife. Transfer sliced meat to plates or platter and pour the pan juices on top.

Note: If the brisket starts to dry out before the meat is fully cooked and tender, wrap it in aluminum foil to finish cooking.

How to Grill cayenne pepper chili powder grilling cooking Steven Raichlen Texas barbecued brisket recipe barbecueHome and Garden Outdoors Home Cooking Barbecue and Grilling

Read a Tribute Poem About Michael Jackson

Word Cloud Photo by Denny Lyon
Copyright 2 July 2009
All Rights Reserved

Read a tribute poem about the passing of a music legend over at The Social Poets blog under this post of a coffee recipe and a poem:

Libations Friday! 3 July 2009

Have a safe weekend, everyone! Thanks for visiting!

Denny