Gumbo z’Herbes

Name: Gumbo z’Herbes
Yield: makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup cooking oil (or bacon fat), plus more for frying oysters; 1/2 cup flour; 2 medium onions, chopped; 2 green bell peppers, chopped; 1/2 bunch celery, chopped; 2 medium turnips, peeled and chopped; 1 cup plus 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 6 cups total of 2 or more of the following (washed thoroughly and coarsely chopped): turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, spinach, kale, escarole, or chard; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried; 1 teaspoon filé powder; 2 quarts Chicken Stock (p. 206); 1 pint oysters (strain and reserve the liquor); 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; Bouquet Garni (p. 145) made with parsley stems, bay leaf, and thyme; Salt and pepper; Hot sauce; Cornmeal, for dusting; Cooked white rice, optional

December 14, 2011

This fabulous, herbaceous gumbo used to be primarily a meatless Lenten dish, served on Good Friday. It is a pretty rare find on menus these days, but if you should come across it, give it a try. It is a thinner, soupier gumbo than most, and you’ll be surprised how much flavor the greens impart to the broth. When I made it the first time, I thought of how wonderful oysters would taste with the herbs, so I decided to top it off with a few fried ones. You could still serve it during Lent, but don’t reserve this delicious gumbo for once a year.

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