Lowcountry Gumbo and Jalapeño Cornbread

For our last meal together before H had to head home we decided to make a feel-good-down-home meal. A Beaufort inspired dish with a twist of jalapeno!

Lowcountry Gumbo

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups sliced okra
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Process:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Cook the sausage until browned, then remove.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
4. Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine.
5. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley.
7. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
8. Add 4 cups chicken stock, whisking constantly.
9. Add the sausage. B
10. ring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
11. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
12. Just before serving add the shrimp.
13. Serve over rice.

Tip: Make the day before and do not add shrimp until heating to serve the next day!

Jalapeno Cornbread

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Process:

1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don’t overmix!
3. Fold in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapeños, corn.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
8. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheers!

H&M

P.S. until the next reunion – xmas party apps 🙂

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Homemade French Bread

“Teach me how to Dougie” was another popular quote of the weekend. As Wil decided to name my other gift from H, a giant wine glass, Doug. What goes with a large glass of wine? Really good bread!

H and I have made this bread a few times and it is pretty easy and turns out wonderful every time! We made this to drink with our wine and and mussels.

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

2 envelopes (1/4-ounce each) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F.)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour
4 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Process:

1. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water and mix for 2 minutes to dissolve the yeast.
2. Add the salt and flour.
3. With the mixer on low, mix until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and crawls up to dough hook.
4. Grease a mixing bowl with the oil. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn once.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place until the dough doubles in size about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and invert it onto a heavily floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
7. Pat each portion into a large rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick.
8. Roll up the dough, beginning with the short side and stopping after each full turn to press the edge of the roll firmly into the flat sheet of dough to seal.
9. Press with your fingertips. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough.
10. Sprinkle a baking sheet evenly with 2 tablespoons of the cornmeal.
11. Place the loaves on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.
12. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
13. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
14. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes, about 1-inch apart, on the top of each loaf.
15. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over each loaf. Place a cup of hot water in an oven-proof container on the baking sheet with the loaves.
16. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Slice to serve.

Cheers!

H&M

Muy Caliente Taco Dip

“HOT, HOT, HOT” was the theme of the weekend! I believe H and I (with Wil’s help) ate over 12 jalapenos in 5 days. We decided to make dips for the football game and this dip may be one of my new favorites! We kind of took all our favorite Mexican ingredients and threw them in this dip. Hopefully y’all enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
3 chipotle peppers diced
2 Serrano (roasted and diced – remove seeds to lower heat if desired)
2 jalapeños (roasted and diced – remove seeds to lower heat if desired)
2 links of spicy sausage cooked and chopped
3 tomatoes diced
1 onion diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. lime juice
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of a 9 inch round pan
3. Spread sausage over cream cheese
4. Mix the peppers, tomatoes, onion, cumin, lime, garlic, salt and pepper together in a bowl and layer evenly over sausage.
5. Top with shredded cheese
6. Bake for 45 minutes
7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before eating
8. Serve with your favorite corn chip!

Cheers!

H&M