Gumbo z’Herbes
This fabulous, herbaceous gumbo used to be primarily a meatless Lenten dish, served on Good Friday. It is a pretty rare find on menus these days, but if you should come across it, give it a try. It is a thinner, soupier gumbo than most, and you’ll be surprised how much flavor the greens impart to the broth. When I made it the first time, I thought of how wonderful oysters would taste with the herbs, so I decided to top it off with a few fried ones. You could still serve it during Lent, but don’t reserve this delicious gumbo for once a year.
Ingredients
makes 8 to 10 servings
Step 1
Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Carefully whisk in the flour. Continue whisking until the roux is the color of peanut butter, or a little darker. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, turnips, 1 cup scallions, and garlic, and cook, stirring to coat vegetables with roux, for 5 minutes. Add the greens, stir, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until they are wilted; add the thyme and filé powder. Stir in the chicken stock, 2 cups at a time, bringing the mixture to a boil after each addition. Whisk in the oyster liquor and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the gumbo to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the Bouquet Garni and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 hour, adding more chicken stock or water if the mixture gets too thick. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
Step 2
Heat 1/2 inch of the vegetable oil in a medium skillet to about 350°F. Dust raw oysters with cornmeal and shallow-fry very quickly, until golden. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
To serve the gumbo, ladle generous portions into bowls and garnish each bowl with 3 oysters, the remaining scallions, and hot rice, if desired.
