New-Coach Chorizo-Seafood Gumbo

Arkansas Vs. LSU

Happy Thanksgiving! A new coach is on his way to Arkansas, and this gumbo is for him -- whoever he might be.

This rouge-colored melange is based on Emeril's "Mr. John's chorizo and sausage gumbo," a recipe we first tried last year during the Mississippi State game and have made about six times. The gumbo has voodoo-like magical qualities, not only curing illness but rectifying sociopolitical wrongs. It is the eponymous gumbo we were dreaming about when we launched Razorgumbo as a food blog. You can find the original purist version on www.Food.com.

Today I'm going to offer up the version my family makes, which uses seafood you can get at Kroger in Arkansas, rather than relying on all-fresh stuff from the Gulf. The only way that gumbo can get better than this, I think, is for the seafood to be fresh and for the stock to be a real seafood stock rather than the chicken stock we use here.

I'm also going to offer extra instructions that will keep you from messing up the roux. We all know roux cooking can be tricky, just like making risotto. But really it is simply about using the right pot and getting the oil to the right temp before you start. From there its pretty doable.

From start to finish, allow 3-4 hours for this gumbo to be complete. And get ready to dedicate 30-40 minutes to standing over the stove while the roux is being made. Do not step aside for one minute. A roux requires total devotion to the stove. Don't be cooking anything else, raising children, working on a business plan or playing the cornet.

If you make this gumbo correctly it will be very dark and have the toasty flavor of a dark-roast coffee. But the beautiful thing is that you can always adjust the level of roux flavor by simply not cooking the roux as long. You can also easily adjust the level of spice so this should work for just about anyone. Just don't expect me to respect you if you dial down the toastyness.

As for the sausage -- if you use chorizo there will be a red color to the gumbo and a lot of spicy pepper is built in, so you won't have to use as much Creole seasoing as you might think. However, chorizo is a very fatty sausage and it will cause there to be a layer of oil on top that is hard to reincorporate into the gumbo. If this is offputting to you, use one of those fat mops you can get at a cooking store to remove as much of the fat as possible. Or, do what we have recently decided to do and use a really good smoked sausage instead, making up for the lack of chorizo by using some chile. It just struck me at this moment that the Knorr-brand chipotle bullion cubes would be could for this because they impart extra smokiness while bringing some heat. Consider that in lieu of chorizo.And a couple of shots of Tabasco in the bowl after you serve it up also imparts an interesting flavor.

Another important note: This is not an okra gumbo. You sprinkle file (fee-lay) over the gumbo once it is in the bowl to thicken slightly and give it that fantastic sasafras taste. Okra is for frying or roasting. Just say no to okra gumbo, please.

In the words of Farm Boy from  "The Princess Bride," HEAR ME NOW: The roux is everything.

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 pound chorizo or other smoked sausage, finely chopped, plus 1 pound chorizo, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• Creole seasoning
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock (Emeril calls for shrimp stock, but we can't get that or can't be bothered to make it.) Or how about using the stock from the turkey you just made for Thanksgiving?
• Crab meat -- one small refigerated container (Emeril calls for a dozen frozen gumbo crabs, thawed)
• 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (Use frozen unless you have access to fresh)
• 2 pounds Louisiana Crawfish tails (these are in the refrigerated seafood section)
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions (green part only)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 6 cups cooked long grain white rice, warm
• Louisiana File Powder (do not leave this out or attempt to put okra in this gumbo)

Remember this -- NEVER FORGET THIS! Chop all the vegetables and the sausage first, and make or have the stock nearby. In a large, heavy pot or, perhaps, a Razorback-colored Lodge-brand enamel cast-iron Dutch oven,  combine the oil and flour in a very particular way over medium heat.

Turn the burner to medium and allow the pot to warm with the oil in it. When you start smelling the oil a little and you can see movement of the oil in the pot, you are ready to go. Just do not put the flour in until the oil is hot. If you do, you will make something like Play-Doh.

Add the flour to the oil slowly over about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring constrantly with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula. This will avoid scratching your enamel and works better than plastic. Depending on how long this is taking to darken, you can nudge the burner just a little past the midway point to hot,  but not more than that. Keep constantly stirring except possibly for 5-10 second breaks in the early going. If you take a break in the later part of the cooking, more things get burned.

The best reason to use the enamel cast iron is that you don't get any hot spots. Hot spots burn the roux and then spoil the whole thing. With the enamel, you can tiny little pieces that are extra toasted but nothing gets burned. In fact, sometimes it takes longer than I want and I turn the heat up a little because the pot cooks so evenly and won't burn.

Your roux should end up being the color of dark-roast coffee. If you go slowly you can confidently toast it to this level. The general rule is, if you are asking your spouse if the roux is done, it is not. If you pull up short before reaching the French-roast color, you will not get the rich flavor this gumbo needs. If you use a regular pot thhis can be done in 20 minutes but you will take more risk. Get the cast iron enamel and take a little more time.

Okay, once the roux is perfect, seize the day! Immediately put the chopped onions, bell peppers, chopped celery, and 1/2 pound of the chopped sausage in, and season somewhat with Creole seasoning -- you can always put more in later,. DO NOT TASTE THE ROUX NOW!!! It looks tasteable but it is essentially boiling fat. It will kill you!

The veggies go in.

Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Now, add the stock. If you have gumbo crabs, put those in now, along with the first half of the chorizo or other sausage. If you are using crab meat, then put it in later near the end with the other seafood.

Enter the chorizo.

 Stir the stock into the roux until it is  well combined. NOW you can taste it. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for  2 hours. No worries in the enamel cast iron pot -- it will not stick or burn.

Meanwhile, during the cooking of the gumbo base, season the seafood with Creole seasoning.

The stock has now been added.

Crab meat and crawfish tails spiced.

Shrimp thawed and shelled.

All seafood combined and spiced with second half of chorizo added.

After the two hours of cooking, add in  the seafood and remaining sliced sausage to the gumbo. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before skimming off the fat that has risen to the surface. Taste for seasonings and adjust. Stir in the green onions and parsley and serve the gumbo in individual soup or gumbo bowls with the rice. Pass the file powder at the table.

A word about the rice - keep it mininal. I put only a half-cup of cooked rice in the bowl and then fill the rest of the bowl with rice. Rice is filler! This is about flavor. I think an excellent rice to go with gumbo is the Texmati rice from Alvin, Texas, produced by RiceTek. This company was started by the prince of Lichtenstein and it specializes in hybridizing exotic rice types from around the world so they can be grown by farmers in the southern U.S. Their rice also comes in square plastic containers that stack well in the pantry. All those loose bags of rice are a pain. If you get the Texmati you can repurpose the container in your pantry or garage and save the Earth.

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the gumbo!