Gumbo z'Herbes
A Lent-time Louisiana gumbo: collards, mustard greens, kale, spinach and parsley stewed in a roux-thickened broth. The 'no meat' Friday dish of yesteryear.
Overview
The "gumbo of herbs", the green Lenten gumbo traditionally made by Cajun and Creole families during the fasting weeks before Easter, when meat was off the table but the bowl still had to be filled. You build a dark roux first, flour cooked in oil to peanut-butter brown over a long patient stir. The Cajun trinity of onion, celery and bell pepper goes in to soften, then a mountain of finely chopped greens (collards, mustard greens, turnip tops, spinach, chard - the more varieties the better) piles into the pot with stock. Forty-five minutes of slow simmer takes the greens to meltingly soft and turns the broth into a deep nourishing green-brown. Hot sauce, filé powder and a scoop of white rice finish each bowl. Lenten or not, the dish stands on its own as one of Louisiana's quieter masterpieces.
Ingredients
Roux
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- 80 g plain flour
Trinity and aromatics
- 1 onion (large, chopped)
- 4 celery sticks (chopped)
- 1 green pepper (chopped)
- 6 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Greens
- 1 bunch collard greens (around 250 g; tough stems removed; chopped)
- 1 bunch mustard greens (or turnip tops, around 200 g; chopped)
- 1 bunch kale (around 200 g; chopped)
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
- 200 g spinach (chopped)
- 4 spring onions (sliced)
Liquid and finish
- 1 ½ litres vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon filé powder (optional, off the heat)
- Hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco)
- Cooked white rice (to serve)
Method
Stage 1 - Roux
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat.
- Whisk in the flour; cook 25-30 minutes, stirring constantly, until the roux is deep peanut-butter brown. Don't rush - burning means starting over.
Stage 2 - Trinity
- Add the onion, celery and pepper to the roux; cook 8-10 minutes (the heat will drop; the vegetables release water and stop the roux from over-browning).
- Add the garlic, bay, thyme, smoked paprika, oregano and cayenne; cook 1 minute.
Stage 3 - Greens and broth
- Pile in all the greens; they'll wilt down dramatically.
- Pour in the stock; add the soy sauce and salt.
- Bring to the boil; reduce to a steady simmer.
- Cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally - the greens will collapse, the broth will deepen.
Stage 4 - Finish
- Discard the bay leaves.
- Off the heat, sprinkle in the filé powder if using (don't boil after; it gets stringy).
- Taste; adjust salt, pepper and hot sauce.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Spoon over a mound of white rice in shallow bowls.
- Pass extra hot sauce at the table.
Notes
- The roux is the base: Pale roux gives weak flavour; black roux is bitter. Aim for the colour of milky coffee, working slowly. Stop just before you think it's ready - it keeps darkening off the heat.
- As many greens as you can find: Traditional Lenten gumbo z'herbes calls for an odd number - 7, 9, or 11 different greens. The variety matters more than the proportion.
- Filé powder: Ground sassafras leaves; gives an okra-like body and a subtle root-beer flavour. Optional but classic.
Storage
- Keeps 5 days refrigerated; tastes better day two.
- Freezes 3 months.
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