Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut oil, or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 quart shellfish* or chicken stock, plus 1 cup water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8-12 ounces smoked andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper to taste
3-5 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
File powder (optional)
Hot sauce (such as Tabasco) to taste

Note: that you can make your own shellfish stock with the shells from the shrimp. Put the shrimp shells and tail tips in a pot and cover with 2 quarts of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for an hour. Strain and use in this recipe for the stock. Diluted bottle clam juice will also work as shellfish stock in this recipe.

Method:

1 First, make the roux. Heat the peanut oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, on medium high heat, for a minute or two. Whisk in the flour and lower the heat to medium. Stir almost constantly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir.

Let the roux cook until it is the color of peanut butter, then lower the heat to medium low. Keep cooking and stirring (careful, you want the flour to cook, not burn!) until the roux is the color of an old penny, about 20-30 minutes total time.



2 Mix in the "holy trinity" of green pepper, onion and celery and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the Cajun seasoning.


3 Slowly add stock, then simmer: In a separate pot, heat the stock and water until steamy. Slowly add the steamy stock and water to the bell pepper onion roux mixture, stirring constantly while you do so.



Bring the gumbo to a simmer and add the Worcestershire sauce and salt to taste. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
If you find that the roux has broken a bit and oil is pooling on the surface of the gumbo, whisk in about another 1/2 to 1 cup of water. This will often "fix" it.
4 Stir in the andouille sausage and cook for 5 minutes (andouille sausage is already cooked, so you just need to heat it).



5 Add the shrimp, return to a simmer and cook another 5 minutes, until the shrimp has just cooked through. Add salt and black pepper to taste.



Serve with white rice, garnished with green onions. To eat, sprinkle with filé powder and hot sauce.

Coriander-Crusted Tilapia With Brown Rice and Vegetables

INGREDIENTS:

4 6-oz. tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 small carrots, chopped
2 medium leeks, thinly sliced
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup instant brown rice
½ cup vegetable broth
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1 lemon, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

1.Pat tilapia dry with paper towels. Combine coriander, pepper, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Season tilapia all over with the mixture.

2.Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tilapia and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until just opaque, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

3.Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add carrots and cook, stirring often, until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add rice, broth, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 1 minute.

4.Serve tilapia with brown rice, vegetables, and lemon wedges.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

Buffalo Sauce:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's)

Ginger-Soy Glaze:
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Wings:
5 pounds chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Buffalo Sauce:

1.Mix butter, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt in a medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in hot sauce; keep warm.

2.Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Rewarm before using.

Ginger-Soy Glaze:

1.Bring ginger, garlic, honey, soy sauce, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve honey. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ¼ cup, 7–8 minutes. Strain into a medium bowl. Let sit 15 minutes to thicken slightly.

2.Do Ahead: Glaze can be made 5 days ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.

Wings:

1.Preheat oven to 400°. Set a wire rack inside 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Toss chicken wings, vegetable oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to coat. Divide wings between prepared racks and spread out in a single layer.

2.Bake wings until cooked through and skin is crispy, 45–50 minutes.

3.Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil; top with a wire rack. Add half of wings to ginger-soy glaze and toss to evenly coat. Place wings in a single layer on prepared rack and bake until glaze is glossy and lightly caramelized, 8–10 minutes.

4.Toss remaining half of wings in Buffalo sauce. Serve immediately (no need to bake them).

Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:

2 (4 ounce) filet mignon steaks
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine

1.Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over both sides of each steak, and sprinkle with salt to taste.

2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place steaks in hot pan, and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add balsamic vinegar and red wine. Cover, and cook for 4 minutes on each side, basting with sauce when you turn the meat over.

3.Remove steaks to two warmed plates, spoon one tablespoon of glaze over each, and serve immediately.