Lagniappe (and a bit of research)

Lagniappe is a Louisiana French term that means something a little extra, sort of like a baker's dozen, so I figured that this was as good as any title for this post, as I'm not only going to share what I've found researching gumbo z'herbes, I'm also to give Dorothy's Lenten version of the dish.

The gumbo I made yesterday from the original recipe spent the night in the fridge, and sitting only made it better. The flavors married in a surprising way; there's a subtlety in the layers of flavor that I hadn't expected, especially given the strength of the greens. I'm surprised at how delicate it tastes, and nothing like the sledgehammer of flavors as in other types of gumbos. I guess my one issue is with the meats. They seem really wimpy. I get the veal but ham? Wimpy ham? Maybe it was just the crap ham I used.

Just a side note, I called my mom this morning and told her I was bringing her lunch. Um....I have a LOT of gumbo to peddle and its just me eating it, and I'm going to be cooking another batch tomorrow, so I'm about to have even more. I also thought she might like the break from the food at the home. When she first moved up here I thought she'd never be able to adjust to the weather, yet its not been the climate, but rather the food that really gets her. Bad food really pisses her off. She spends a lot of time just totally hacked. She even got in a bit of trouble the first week at the home, when she sent a plate back to the kitchen with a note that read. "Thanks, but no thanks!" I'm still a bit surprised they haven't given her the boot yet. Ah, good times.

Anyway, not one to pass up a good meal, my mom seemed excited about the prospect of a New Orleans meal, until I told her what cookbook the recipe was coming from. She opted to have a small lunch at the home first just to hedge her bets. Some habits die hard. But she did like it.

I looked for other recipes online, and found that most seem to be derivatives of Leah Chase's recipe--they call for a moderately dark roux, sausage, chicken, beef and ham. That certainly would solve what I feel is the wimpy meat problem. I found a recipe by Sara Roahen, inspired by Chase's, in an interview on the Wall St. Journal site, that calls for 8 lbs. of meat. Whoa! (By the way if you haven't read Roahen's Gumbo Tales, you should. A Wisconsin native, she really took to New Orleans and writes really beautifully about the city and the food that inspired it.)

I dunno, but to me a roux and that much meat would really change the character of the gumbo, turning it into something else entirely. Right now, what I really like is the delicacy of the flavor and the subtlety of the spice, and honestly, subtle and delicate aren't usually two words associated with Louisiana cooking, so its a nice change. Things to ponder...

Well after all that meat talk, here's the meatless version of gumbo. Just because its vegetarian, doesn't mean its not rich.

Dorothy's Gumbo Z'herbes

1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch collard greens
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch turnip greens
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch beet greens
1 bunch radish greens
1 bunch carrot greens
1 bunch dandelion greens
1 bunch chicory
1/2 head cabbage
Cold water to cover greens
1 large onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 allspice berry
3 or 4 springs of fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3 bay leaves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground anise
3 Tbs. Herbsaint or Pernod
1 to 2 Tbs. butter
24 oysters in their water
gumbo file powder
Cooked white rice

Wash greens thoroughly. Then wash them again, since there's nothing worse than grit in your gumbo. Cut out the stems and cut the cabbage into large pieces. Put into a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until the greens are done. In an iron skillet, melt butter. When hot, add minced garlic and onion and saute until onions brown. Add 1/2 of the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Set aside. When the greens are done. Remove them from the pot, reserving the water they were cooked in and strain. Finely chop the greens and return to the stock. Add the onions and garlic to the stock pot, and the remaining wine and herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Cooking for 1 to 1 1/2 hours over low fire. 10 minutes before serving, gently stir in the oysters and their water and the Pernod. Cook until the edges of the oysters curl. Remove from heat. Remove the bay leaves, the allspice berry and the thyme stems. Serve over a small amount of rice in a gumbo bowl. Bring the file to the table to allow each person to add to their own dish.

The revised recipe next....