Market basket: Chill in the air calls for gumbo in the slow cooker
I use my slow cooker all year, but it’s about to get a real workout over the next few months. Nothing signals the change to the fall season like holding a bowl of soup or stew. It starts by warming your hands long before it warms up your insides. Oftentimes, it’s better than a blanket.
One of my favorites is a dish made famous by our fun-loving state to the southwest, Louisiana. Gumbo is on my list of comfort foods, especially when there’s a chill in the air.
Even the name of this dish is fun and is a derivative of the African word for “okra.” That’s understandable since okra is a key ingredient in this combination of vegetables, meats and seafood. The okra serves as a thickener for the mixture and if it’s not used, filé powder is the substitute. It’s dried sassafras leaves that have been ground.
More: Market basket: Get a pile of napkins ready for this one
There are oodles of recipes for gumbo, but all begin with a roux, which is the other thickener. A roux is a low and slow cooked equal mixture of flour and fat. The color of the finished roux is determined by the length of time it is cooked, so it can range from blond to brown. This step is essential to the success of the finished gumbo.
Paul Prudhomme made his Gumbo Ya Ya famous in the 1970s by touting it as containing everything that “runs, swims or crawls.” And most recipes do have a long list of ingredients. Tomatoes, onions and typically at least a couple of proteins are in every recipe.
Green gumbo is a tradition during the Easter season. It’s made on Maundy Thursday and enjoyed on Good Friday. It is so named due to the seven different herbs and greens in the stew, including spinach, mustard and collard greens.
You asked for it
Sandra Henderson of Atlanta writes, “I have a recipe calling for Groviera cheese that I’m having a very hard time locating. Would you provide me with a substitute?”
Sandra,
Groviera (also spelled Gruviera) is an Italian version of Gruyere cheese, which is Swiss. Use it as a substitute since both are rich with a sweet nutty flavor.
Tammy Algood is the author of five cookbooks and can be seen on “Volunteer Gardener” on PBS stations in Tennessee. Follow her at www.hauteflavor.com
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Market basket: Rev up the slow cooker, it's gumbo time
