Mom’s Gumbo Recipe
Chaz Robinson and his mother used to pick the okra used in her gumbo, and his grandfather made the tasso (highly seasoned pork). He is executive chef at Dixon’s in Lower Downtown. Tasso is available in specialty stores or online from cajungrocer .com. This recipe has been slightly modified to accommodate those who would prefer not to handle little crawfish heads to make stock. If you’ve never made a roux, prepare to spend some time slowly stirring flour into bacon fat. This dish can be made a day in advance. Serves 8
Ingredients
1/2 cup bacon drippings
2 ounces bourbon
2 quarts fish stock (either from bouillon cubes)
1 bottle clam juice
2 pounds tasso
1/4 pound unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped fine
3 stalks celery
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 pounds crawfish, cleaned
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 pounds okra, sliced
1/4 cup file powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups long-grain rice, cooked according to package instructions
Directions
In a large stock pot over medium heat, sear tasso in bacon grease until tasso is browned
In a saucepan, combine fish stock and clam juice. Heat to warm and cover.
In the stockpot in which you seared the tasso, add butter and sauté onions, bell pepper, garlic and celery. Stir in flour to make the roux. Cook until the roux starts to brown, stirring frequently so that nothing burns.
When the stock is brown, pour the bourbon into the fish stock and slowly stir the liquid into the roux, making sure there are no lumps. Add tomatoes, reserved tasso, crawfish, cloves, cayenne, bay leaves and parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Reduce heat, add okra, file powder, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Stavropoulos Family Pastitsio
This recipe, included on the menu at Yanni’s Greek Taverna, comes from Yanni Stavropoulos’ grandmother’s kitchen. Serves 8-10
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked macaroni (#2 if possible)
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef ground beef
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated mitzithra or Parmesan cheese
Directions
Prepare macaroni according to package directions for al dente. Blanch and drain, brown one-half stick butter in a skillet and pour over macaroni while butter is very hot. Add 1/2 cup cheese, mix gently. Set aside.
Brown chopped onion in olive oil add meat and continue to brown. Drain excess fat, add tomato sauce, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add a 1/2 cup water. Simmer low for about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450. While meat is simmering prepare cream sauce:
Cream Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablesoons butter
1/2 gallon milk
12 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 cups grated mitzithra or Parmesan cheese
5 eggs beaten (with electric mixer)
Directions
Melt butter over slow fire. Remove butter from fire and slowly whisk in flour so that it will not lump. Add milk slowly and return to heat. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened slightly and is bubbling. Slowly add 1 cup cheese, stirring constantly. After cheese has melted, add beaten eggs, using folding motion, until eggs are all mixed in.
Stirring frequently, cook mixture slowly for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from fire and cover so that cream mixture does not form crust.
In a 3- to 4-inch-deep, either 9-inch-by 13-inch or 10-inch-by-15-inch pan, pour a thin layer of cream sauce on bottom of pan so pastitsio will hold together. Pour half of macaroni into pan, then pour a layer of meat mixture using all the meat, then add the remaining macaroni. Top with remaining cream sauce. Contents will double in size when cooked.
Sprinkle top of casserole with a light amount of grated cheese. Bake until top has formed a golden brown crust, about 1 hour. Cool 45 minutes before cutting into squares.
Tortilla Soup with Pork Chicharron and Avocado / Sopa de Tortilla con Chicharron y Aguacate
This recipe comes from Maria de Lourdes Sandoval, grandmother to restaurateur Richard Sandoval. He retrieved the recipe from a manuscript originally typed in Spanish. Serves 4.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided use
2 corn tortillas
1/2 cup chopped, white Spanish onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 small dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and broken into small pieces
1 small dried pasilla chile, stemmed, seeded and broken into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh epazote or 2 tablespoons dried epazote
5 plum tomatoes, halved
4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
1/2 cup diced avocado
1 ounce queso fresco, cut into small dice
1/4 cup crema fresca
1 corn tortilla diced and fried
1 dried pasilla chile, stemmed, seeded and crumbled
Directions
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add tortillas and fry until crisp, turning once, 1-2 minutes. Transfer tortillas to paper towels to drain. Break into pieces and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until softened and lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Add dried chile pieces and the epazote, and sauté until chile pieces are lightly colored on both sides, 30 to 45 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, tortilla pieces, and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, over very low heat for 30 minutes.
Working in batches if necessary, pour the soup mixture into a blender and purée. Pour into a medium- mesh sieve placed over a large bowl, and force the solids through with a rubber spatula. Discard any solids left in the sieve. Season the soup with the lime juice, salt, and pepper.
To serve, spoon the soup into four large, shallow soup bowls. Garnish with the avocado and cheese, if desired. Drizzle a pattern over the top with the crema fresca, and sprinkle with the diced tortilla and guajillo chile.
Chinese Chicken and Chestnuts
This is another Poston family favorite dating to the days when fresh chestnuts weren’t readily available in Ohio. Note: when using fresh chestnuts, the peeled chestnuts need to be simmered into the sauce at least a half- hour, canned chestnuts are completely cooked and may just be reheated in the sauce. Also, spare yourself the bother and ask the butcher to cut up the chicken for you. Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cooking sherry
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 chicken, cut into 16 pieces
1 1/2 cups onion, cut in 1-inch dice
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chestnuts
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl combine garlic, ginger, sugar, sherry and soy sauce. Add chicken pieces and marinate at least two hours.
Heat a large sauce pan or high-sided skillet to medium high. Sauté onions and mushrooms until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon add them to the pan in an even layer and brown lightly, turning once. Add the reserved marinade and the chicken broth and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes for a commercially-grown chicken or up to an hour for a free-range chicken.
In a small mixing bowl thoroughly combine cornstarch and water (it should look like cream, with no lumps). Slowly stir one cup of cooking liquid into the cornstarch, stirring continuously.
Slowly add the cornstarch mixture back into the simmering pot while stirring. When sauce has thickened slightly add mushrooms and chestnuts for about five minutes or until heated through. Serve with rice.
Mrs. Poston’s Fried Rice
Recipe courtesy of George Poston, executive chef at Maggiano’s Little Italy in downtown Denver. His mother’s fried rice, above, background, was a family favorite, and one George Poston now makes for his own family. Note: the rice can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cups white rice
4 cups water
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 slices bacon, cut in 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided use
1 egg beaten
1 small carrot, diced
1 cup diced yellow onions
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
2 green onions, sliced (white and green portions)
Directions
In a medium sauce pan, place rice, water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover and let steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift the top. After 20 minutes, uncover and remove from heat to cool.
Heat a large skillet or wok to medium low, add bacon and one tablespoon of oil and fry slowly until bacon is crisp. Remove from pan, increase the heat to medium high, and immediately add the beaten egg and season with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Stir until the egg is cooked, remove and chop egg into 1/2-inch pieces.
Add remaining oil and heat to medium high. Add carrots, onions and celery and sauté until colors brighten. Season with salt, pepper and ginger. Add rice and stir until rice is heated through. Add the tablespoon of soy sauce, bacon, eggs, peanuts and raisins. Stir a couple more times until all ingredients are hot and then remove to a serving plate or bowl.
Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
Mom’s Hello Dolly Cookie Bars
From Kathy Stone, mother of Jean Stone, executive chef at the Palm. Jean Stone says she has made them in Denver, and no altitude adjustments are necesary.
Ingredients
Canola cooking spray
1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, or enough to cover dish bottom completely
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk, used one can at a time
1 bag of flaked coconut, divided use
1 bag of chopped walnuts, divided use
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided use
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly spray the sides and bottom of a 9-by- 13-inch glass baking dish with oil.
Melt butter/margarine in a microwave or a small saucepan and pour it into the baking dish.
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the butter/margarine until the crumbs are evenly covered.
Pour one can of condensed milk over cracker crumbs.
Sprinkle half of the coconut on the milk, followed by half of the chopped walnuts and half of the chocolate chips.
Repeat with the coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips for a second layer.
Gently press fork on top of mixture to level it. Pour second can of milk on top. Bake on middle rack for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
