Chef Link stresses that it’s essential to whisk the roux constantly as it cooks (but not so vigorously that you splatter the roux and burn yourself), because if even a small bit of flour sticks to the pot, it will become spotty, scorch quickly, and burn the entire roux. Otherwise, the water in the vegetables will keep the onion from browning and releasing its sweet juices. Always add the onions first to the dark roux, holding back the rest of the vegetables until the onion caramelizes. This speeds up the process and yields a deep, dark chocolate-colored gumbo. Heat the oil first and whisk the flour into the hot oil. Rendered duck fat, chicken fat, or lard is preferred, but canola oil works nearly as well. As for the fats in a roux, just about anything works. According to Besh, there are other thickeners besides flour for making their roux, but only a flour-based roux yields that traditional flavor. I provided some background on gumbo, and its essential components, and a few personal notes about my experience in preparing the two gumbos. Marine, Besh has been honored by Food & Wine ("Top 10 Best New Chefs in America ") Gourmet Magazine ("Guide to America’s Best Restaurants ") Food Arts (Silver Spoon Award ) and the James Beard Foundation (Best Chef – Southeast.) John Besh is a frequent guest chef on NBC’s Today Show, and has appeared on top programs on The Food Network and the Sundance Channel.” Bio from Restaurant August. At each of his six acclaimed restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Lüke, La Provence, American Sector, and Domenica) as well as in his entrepreneurial pursuits, his first cookbook, My New Orleans, and his public activities, he celebrates the bounty and traditions of the region. “John Besh is a chef and native son dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana. I also provided the recipes for the Chicken and Seafood Stocks, Basic Creole Spices, and Louisiana Rice, all from My New Orleans: The Cookbook. I provided two recipes for the challenge: Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo. And still today newcomers will leave their imprint on our beloved gumbo, and we’ll all be better for it.” Germans brought their andouille sausage, and the Caribbeans, their bright spices. Croatians added oysters and shrimp the Italians, a little tomato. Africans gave us their word for okra, kingombo Native Americans dried and powdered their sassafras leaves to make the thickener called filé the French brought us their fat and flour base called roux the Spanish, their sofrito, comprising what we call the holy trinity: onion, celery, and bell peppers. After enjoying two fabulous pots of gumbo with our friends and family, I decided to challenge the Daring Cooks to to prepare, and share with their friends and family, one of John Besh's amazing gumbos.Īs a Louisiana native, Besh describes gumbo as “the footprint of who we are and where we come from – a cultural stew. I've been cooking/blogging up a storm from their cookbooks, My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh, and Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana. My challenge needed to appeal to 2500 Daring Cook members around the world, and the pressure was on!Īfter our recent and first trip to New Orleans in February (post and photos here) I become enamored with two New Orleans' chefs. As April 17 approached, the day when I would announce the challenge in the private member forum, I tossed and turned for a few sleepless nights trying to think of an interesting challenge. When Lis asked me if I would be willing to host the May Daring Cooks' Challenge, I was incredibly excited and honored. I’ve been a member of The Daring Kitchen, as a Daring Cook and Daring Baker, since the summer of 2009, and cannot begin to express how much I enjoy the monthly challenges and camaraderie.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |