Wednesday Soups: Delta Gumbo

The official cuisine of the state of Louisiana, gumbo has two main variations: Cajun and Creole. The Cajun variety comes originally from southwestern Louisiana, where the French-speaking Acadians settled in the mid-1700s. The Creole variety developed in New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana, where Spanish, French, West African, and Choctaw traditions mingled. Food historians date the dish’s origins to the early 18^th century, but as with all recipes, the ancestral line is nearly impossible to trace. French bouillabaisse, West African okra soup, Acadian turnip and cabbage potage, and Choctaw crawfish stew all probably figured in the development of gumbo.

Cajun gumbo usually includes seafood such as shrimp, crab, and oysters in a dark roux combined with okra or filé powder to thicken the stew, though sausage and ham, chicken and duck, rabbit, even squirrel are often used as substitute meats. Prepared with an abundance of onions, celery, and peppers, Cajun gumbo is also hot because of the liberal use of Cayenne. Creole gumbo, on the other hand, is less spicy and perhaps less “hearty,” with seafood, tomatoes, and a thickener but fewer vegetables.

Gumbo is often served over steaming rice, whose mild taste serves to emphasize the spiciness of the gumbo itself. It is a mainstay of Mardi Gras and other celebrations in New Orleans and along the Gulf coast.

Delta Gumbo
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 lb. boneless chicken, trimmed of fat and diced

1 lb. hot smoked sausage, sliced

1 c. onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 c. okra, sliced

2 bottles beer

1 32-oz. can tomatoes

4 ripe tomatoes, sliced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/4 tsp. thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat the butter in a large skillet and cook the meats for about 5 minutes until well braised; add the onions and garlic, cooking until golden. Fold in the okra on a low heat, stir-fry until a bit sticky.

Pour the beer into a large stock pot; add the meats, tomatoes, okra mixture, and everything else, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Remove the bay leaves before serving. May be served over rice if desired.

Anthony F. Chiffolo and Rayner W. Hesse, Jr. are the authors of Cooking with the Movies: Meals on Reels and Cooking with the Bible: Recipes for Biblical Meals. When not cooking, Hesse serves as pastor of St. John’s Episcopal Church in New Rochelle, NY, and Chiffolo is Editorial Director at ABC-CLIO. They reside in Hartsdale, NY. Their website is www.cookingwiththemovies.com .