HOPPIN’ JOHN AND SEAFOOD GUMBO: LOW COUNTRY STYLE

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Does anyone need some good luck in 2010? Eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day. I tell my children to eat 365. In the South, eating black-eyed peas on New Years is a tradition. Brought to the Americas by the African slave trade, the “peas” are really a legume. They are high in fiber, folate, potassium, Vitamin A, and protein and are sold canned, dried, and fresh. Since black-eyed peas are bland on their own, they are usually boiled with bacon or ham bones and onions, and then seasoned with hot sauce. On New Years, they are often served with greens and cornbread which represent coins, paper money, and gold.

Hoppin’ John is also a nice way to eat your black-eyed peas. It is a simple dish where you mix cooked black-eyed peas with sauteed onions and white rice. With a little hot sauce, it’s pretty good. In The New Low-Country Cooking by Marvin Woods (Harper Collins, 2000), Marvin Woods takes basic Hoppin’ John and mixes it with a little of his Creole Sauce. This sauce is also his soup base for gumbo, a braising liquid, and a garnishing sauce for simply cooked fish, chicken, and even beef. What a versatile sauce! Gumbo, Hoppin’ John, braising liquid and a sauce. I envision Chef Woods making vats and vats of it and then using it all week long in his restaurant.

Hoppin’ John is a great side to seafood gumbo which together make a perfect New Year’s Day meal. You sure get a lot of bang for your buck! The recipe for Creole Sauce makes 6 1/2 cups, and it can be frozen. What’s not to love? Make a batch, use what you need for your New Year’s feast, and freeze the rest for a rainy day.

Mr. Wood’s Creole Sauce is made by sauteing chopped onions, celery, and bell pepper; adding vegetable broth; and then thickening it all with a roux. The only work is the chopping. Everything else is straightforward.

Note: Creole Sauce can be used immediately or refrigerated for up to 5 days. What’s even better: Creole Sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months.

CREOLE SAUCE
A Base For Gumbo; A Sauce for Hoppin’ John, Snapper, Salmon, Chicken, or Beef
adapted from THE NEW LOW-COUNTRY COOKING by MARVIN WOODS

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups flour
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups frozen okra
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 1/2 quarts vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup canned peeled whole tomatoes
2 Tbsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
2 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 1/2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Chili paste
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
salt and pepper to taste

1. MAKE ROUX: In a medium saucepan, over MEDIUM LOW heat, melt butter until it bubbles and turns golden brown. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is light-medium brown and has a nutty flavor, 5-9 minutes. This is called a roux “roo”, and it is going to thicken the broth. Set it aside.

2. MAKE SOUP BASE: In a large saucepan, heat oil over MEDIUM HIGH heat. Add okra, celery, onions, bell peppers, and corn and cook until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the simmering broth with 1/2 cup of roux and stir until the mixture looks like a paste. Stir the paste into the pot of simmering broth and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Saute vegetables until soft

Add broth and simmer

Make a paste of broth and roux and add to broth

3. ADD SEASONINGS: Add tomatoes, hot sauce, herbs, chili powder, cayenne, Chili Paste, and black pepper. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender, blending 2 cups at a time. Be very careful. It will be hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add tomatoes and seasonings and then puree

It smells delicious

At this point, you can cover and refrigerate, freeze, or proceed with another recipe.

HOPPIN’ JOHN WITH CREOLE SAUCE

Cook 1 1/2 cups white rice according to the instructions on the package. In a saucepan, boil 1/2 cup Creole Sauce over MEDIUM LOW heat. Add 3/4 cup cooked black-eyed peas and cook until heated through. (If you use canned, just drain and rinse; if you use fresh, boil 8-10 minutes then drain and discard water). In a large serving bowl, combine rice with black-eyed pea mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

1. SAUTE VEGETABLES: In a large saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil over MEDIUM HIGH heat. When hot, add 2 finely chopped ribs celery + 1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped + 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped + 1/2 onion, finely chopped and saute until soft, 6-8 minutes. Add 1 cup corn kernels + 2 cups chopped okra and cook 5 minutes more.

2. ADD SEAFOOD AND CREOLE SAUCE: Add 3 -31/2 lbs seafood (1 lb. firm white fish like snapper, cod or sole + 1 lb. shelled and deveined jumbo shrimp + 1 lb. crabmeat + 1/2 lb raw oysters). When shrimp begin to turn pink, add 4 cups Creole Sauce and bring to a simmer.

3. ADD TOMATOES AND HERBS AND SERVE: Immediately add 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes + 2 tsp thyme + 2 tsp rosemary + 2 tsp sage and cook 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over hot white rice with a nice crisp green salad on the side.