Shrimp & Okra Gumbo

Ingredients

3/4 cup oil, split into ¼ and ½ cup containers
1 pound okra, frozen, sliced or fresh
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 can 28oz. diced tomatoes
2 cups celery, medium diced
2 cups onion, medium diced
2 cups green pepper, medium diced
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced or diced
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. cayenne
2 bay leaves
8 cups water or vegetable stock
1 8oz. bottle clam juice
salt & pepper
2lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups white rice, cooked
hot sauce and file powder

1. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat ¼ cup of oil, and then add the okra. Cook the okra, stirring often, until most of the slime has disappeared, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a heavy soup pot on medium heat, add ½ cup oil, then add the flour and stir until combined, making a roux. Continue cooking and stirring until the roux turns the color of caramel/tan, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, celery, onions, pepper, sausage, thyme, cayenne, and bay leaves, and cook 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

4. Add the stock (or water), clam juice and okra. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the shrimp and cook 5 minutes more.

6. Serve over rice, with hot sauce and filé powder.

Tips & Tricks

• You can prepare the gumbo base up to step #4 two days and place in fridge. Then reheat and add shrimp before serving.

• The base can be frozen for 3 months. When ready to use defrost and bring to a boils then add shrimp right before serving.

• You can serve a small serving of gumbo as a starter or a big bowl as a main dish.

• As with all stews, it get better as it sits. It is great as left overs.

Chicken with Fennel, Tomatoes & Olives

Ingredients

2 medium onions
2 tsp each: sea salt and black pepper
2T fennel seeds
2T olive oil
1 chicken, about 4-5 pounds
1 lemon cut in half
several sprigs fresh herbs (oregano or thyme)
2-3 cups white wine
1 cup pitted black olives
1-2 tomatoes, diced
3T fresh basil, torn into bite size piece

1.    Preheat oven to 425º F.

2.    Peel and slice the onions into slices, then line the bottom of a 9x12 baking pan. Set aside. 

3.    In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper and fennel seeds together.

4.    Wash and pat dry the chicken. Place on work surface. Rub outside of bird with olive oil; use your fingers to separate the skin from the breast meat.

5.    Rub the fennel mixture underneath the skin and all over the bird.      Place the lemon and herb sprigs inside bird.

6.    Use a piece of kitchen twine to tie the legs together.

7.    Place the chicken on top of the sliced onions. Pour 1 ½-2 cups of the wine alongside the bird.  

8.    Cover the pan on 3 sides with aluminum foil.  Place the covered chicken in a 425°F oven for 1 hour.

9.    After an hour, remove the foil, add the olives  (add the remaining wine if it has evaporated) and cook an additional 30 minutes more until golden brown and the internal temperature is 170° F.

10.    Remove from the oven carefully tip the leg end of the chicken into the pan allowing any juices that have collected to run into the pan.  Transfer to a platter and let rest for at least 15 minutes.

11.    Pour the drippings into a fat separator; leave the onions, and olives in the pan. Allow the drippings to sit until the fat has risen to the top.  Place the sauce in a small saucepan on the high heat and cook until the sauce has reduced slightly for about 3-4 minutes.

12.    Spoon the onion and olives onto a serving platter.

13.    Carve the chicken into pieces: The first cut remove the whole leg and thigh from the body. Then cut the leg from the thigh. Cut the wing from the breast. Cut along the breastbone to separate the meat from the bone. I like to cut each breast into 2 pieces. Place the pieces on top of onions, and olives.

14.    Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

15.    Sprinkle the diced tomato and basil on top and serve warm. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    Try to buy olives that have their pits in them. This keeps the olive’s flesh firm and not mushy. To remove the pit, using the side of your knife, gently press down on the olive. The olive should squish and the pit should be easy to remove. I wear a plastic glove to remove the pits as to not get my fingernails black. 
•    I used black cured olives, but you could use green or kalamata
•    To test doneness, place the thermometer deep in the leg/thigh area. The internal temperature should be 170° F; as it sits it will “carry over cook” 5-10 degrees. 
•    I leave the skin on the breast meat but remove the skin from the thigh meat because it doesn’t get very crispy. 
•    The baking dish looks really messy and dirty, but it cleans up really quickly. 
•    You could substitute chicken pieces for the whole chicken. Bone-in thighs and leg should cook in about 1 hr. 20 minutes for an internal temperature of 170° F. Bone in breast meat internal temperature of 160° F, or about an hour. Check for doneness with the thermometer. Cooking meat with the bone adds so much more flavor than boneless. 
•    This dish doubles easily, you can use a bigger baking dish/roasting pan or two small ones.  It makes great leftovers and is perfect for entraining because it is delicious served warm.  

Baked Fish with Olives, Tomatoes, & Herbs

Ingredients

3T olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes and juice
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 basil leaves (extra leaves for decoration)
½ cup Kalamata Olives, pitted
2T capers
Salt and pepper

8 8 oz. skinless firm white fish filets (mahi-mahi, halibut, cod, or grouper)

1.    Preheat oven to 425º F.

1b.  In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil; when warmed, add the onions sauté 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onions are soft, about 2-3 minutes more.  

2.    Add the tomatoes, and, using a wooden spoon, break the tomatoes into small pieces.  

3.    Add the thyme and basil leaves.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes, until sauce thickens.  

4.    Remove from heat stir in the olives and capers; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Pour the sauce into a 9”x13” roasting pan. (if you make the sauce ahead reheat it, so that is hot)

5.    Season the fish filets on both side with salt and pepper.

5b.  Place on top of the sauce.

6.    Place the fish into the 425º F oven and cook 10-15 minutes.  Check for doneness by inserting a knife into a thick part of the fish; it should be slightly firm and opaque.  Remove fish from oven and let sit 2 minutes, it will continue to cook out of the oven, so be careful not to overcook. 

7.    Place the fish filets on platter or plates, remove the thyme sprigs and

8.    Garnish with a few fresh basil leaves.  Serve immediately.  

TIPS & TRICKS

•    I like to use San Marzano Tomatoes, I think they have the best flavor of all the canned tomatoes.
•    Try to buy olives with their pits. This way the olive flesh is firm and not soggy from sitting in the brine. Use the side of your French knife and lightly press the olive until the pit pops out.
•    Use whatever fish is the freshest. Most firm white fish are delicious in this recipe. I have also used frozen wild caught cod and halibut with great success.