Gumbo Z'eb

Gumbo Zeb Base Recipe

Lots of work, but makes a lot and tastes amazing! This makes about 6 quarts of base and freezes SO well. I even double it sometimes.

Roux: 

• 1 cup mild vegetable oil, such as corn, canola, or soy
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Mirepoix: 

• 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 bunch celery with leaves, chopped
• 1 large bunch (8 to 10) scallions, chopped

Seasoning puree:

• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• ¼ cup Pickapeppa or Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 to 8 good grinds of black peppercorns
• 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, leaves and stems rinsed and coarsely chopped

Stock and greens:

• 6 cups any well-flavored chicken or vegetable stock, or bottled clam juice
• 2 cups tomato juice or V8 vegetable juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 bay leaves
• 6 bunches greens (about 4½ to 5 pounds total), ideally 1 bunch each mustard greens, spinach, turnip greens, beet tops, collard greens, arugula, and watercress, very well washed and finely ribboned
• 1½ cups tomato or V8 vegetable juice

After you chop up all your veggies and ribbon all your greens, make the roux.
Pour the oil in a cast-iron skillet and set over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until fully incorporated and smooth. The color will be a pale cream to beige color. Stir often to keep the roux from burning, and constantly during the final cooking stage. 

I highly recommend an oven roux!

During the early stage, you may move on to the next step—sautéing the mirepoix—but don’t forget about the roux. Check back frequently, stirring every few minutes or so.
As the roux cooks it will darken in color and begin to smell nutty and, if you go all the way to dark roux, like burnt popcorn. Roux making cannot be rushed: The entire process will take from 45 minutes to an hour or more.
When the roux becomes fairly brown, the oil will separate out partially from the flour. This is what you want. Crescent says not to take the roux off the heat before this point. After the oil has separated, how much longer to cook it is a matter of taste. The darker and nuttier it becomes, the richer the flavor.
Saute the mirepoix: In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bell peppers and celery; lower the heat slightly and continue sautéing another 10 minutes. Add the scallions, and sauté until limp, about 5 minutes more. While the mirpoix is sautéing, prepare the seasoning puree, but remember to keep checking the roux and stirring it. Once the vegetables are softened, remove them from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the seasoning puree: Place all the ingredients for the seasoning purée except the tomatoes and parsley in a food processor. Process until the garlic is chopped fine. Add the tomatoes and parsley to the food processor, and chop coarsely.
Check the roux. If it has become caramel-colored or darker, it’s time to give it your undivided attention. If it is ready, finish the roux. (If not go on to the next step and then come back) When the roux is done to your liking, remove it from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Drain off any excess oil that has separated out, but be careful not to pour off any of the browned flour. Vigorously whisk in the 1½ cups tomato juice. It will be a smooth and thick orange paste.
Prepare the stock and the greens: This is the mixture into which the other three mixtures you’ve prepared—the roux, mirepoix, and seasoning purée—will go. In a large stockpot, bring the stock and tomato juice to a boil. Add the salt and bay leaves. Drop in the fresh greens. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, about 30 minutes.
When the greens have finished their 30-minute simmer, remove them from the heat. To the stockpot, add the roux mixture, sautéed mirepoix, and the seasoning purée. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Set the pot over the lowest possible heat and let simmer, covered, another 15 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. It is now ready to be used. Or you can cool it and freeze it. It makes about 6 quarts. 

From Crescent Dragonwagon's book Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread, Use this base to make one of her several gumbo recipes.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
1 to 1½ pounds Petit Jean smoked sausage, sliced
1 pound frozen, sliced okra
1 pound shrimp
6 cups Gumbo Zeb Base
5 to 6 cups any well-flavored chicken stock
1 cup or more cooked white rice
Filé powder
Fry the sausage in a skillet over medium heat until slightly browned and to cook out as much fat from the sausage as possible, about 5 minutes. Add the okra and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
In a large stockpot, bring the base and the stock to a boil. Reduce heat, add the sausage, okra and shrimp. Cook about ten more minutes (or until shrimp are done). Serve hot over rice. Sprinkle with file powder.