Dooky Chase’s Gumbo des Herbes
Once a year, on Holy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter), Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans serves its famous gumbo z’herbes — widely regarded as the ultimate version. Packed with greens (collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet tops, cabbage, lettuce, watercress, spinach and carrot tops) and varied meats (smoked andouille sausage, hot sausage, ham, brisket and veal brisket stew), it reflects the culinary traditions of the city’s Creoles of color. This recipe is adapted, with the express permission of chef Edgar “Dooky” Chase IV, from The Dooky Chase Cookbook, by Leah Chase.
[Read “In celebration of gumbo z’herbes, a gloriously green, soul-nourishing Louisiana Lenten tradition.”]
The sausage called for in the original is hot chaurice — a fresh sausage from Louisiana, which may be difficult to obtain outside of the region. Chef Edgar Chase suggests substituting Italian sausage, and adding in extra cayenne. Our adaptation was tested using Italian sausage with cayenne. The original also calls for both “brisket stew meat” and “brisket”; chef Chase clarified that this should be veal brisket stew meat, if possible, but doubling the beef brisket if veal is unavailable is fine.
Nine different greens are specified in the recipe. It’s not important to use these exact greens, only that a variety is used, and it should be an odd number. Chef Chase counsels that either 9 or 7 is ideal.
Makes 8 to 12 servings.
Ingredients
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch collard greens
1 bunch turnip greens
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch beet tops
1 bunch carrot tops
1/2 head lettuce
1/2 head cabbage
1 bunch spinach
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound smoked andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized slices
1 pound smoked ham, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound hot chaurice (or Italian sausage plus 1/2 teaspoon cayenne), cut into bite-sized slices
1 pound boneless beef brisket, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound veal brisket stew meat (or an additional pound of cut-up boneless beef brisket)
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon filé powder
Instructions
1. Wash the greens well, trim of bad leaves and thick stems, and chop them very roughly. Place them in a large pot, along with the onion and garlic, and cover the vegetables with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for 30 minutes. Being sure to reserve all the liquid, strain the greens and set aside.
2. In a 12-quart pot, place the brisket meats, ham, andouille sausage and 2 cups of the reserved liquid from the greens. Cover the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-high and steam the meats for 15 minutes.
3. While the meats are steaming, place the chaurice or Italian sausage and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne in a large skillet. Pour enough water into the skillet to come about halfway up the sausage pieces, bring to a boil over high heat, and let steam until the water evaporates. If the sausages don’t start rendering fat (or much fat — chaurice will; Italian sausage may or may not depending how fatty it is), then add a little olive oil. Continue cooking in the rendered fat and/or olive oil, stirring occasionally, until they sausage is cooked through and all fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside. Keep the fat or oil in the skillet.
4. Purée the drained vegetables in a food processor; set aside.
5. If you have less than about 5 tablespoons of fat or oil in the sausage skillet, add enough to make about 5 tablespoon. Heat the fat and/or oil over medium heat, sprinkle the flour over it, then whisk it in to make a roux. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until the flour is cooked. Whisk in 2 cups of the reserved vegetable-cooking liquid, then pour the mixture over the meat in the stockpot. Add another 1 1/2 quarts (12 cups) of the cooking liquid to the stockpot, along with the pureed vegetables. (Reserve the rest of the cooking liquid in case it is needed later.) Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Add the chaurice or Italian sausage, the thyme, salt and cayenne and stir well. Continue to simmer for 40 more minutes, until the flavors have deepened and melded. Add the filé powder and stir well. If gumbo is too thick, add enough of the reserved cooking liquid to achieve the desired texture; it should be like a thick soupy-stew. Adjust the seasoning, and remove from the heat. Serve over steamed rice.
Dooky Chase's Gumbo Z'herbes
Ingredients
- 1 bunch mustard greens
- 1 bunch collard greens
- 1 bunch turnip greens
- 1 bunch watercress
- 1 bunch beet tops
- 1 bunch carrot tops
- 1/2 head lettuce
- 1/2 head cabbage
- 1 bunch spinach
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound smoked andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized slices
- 1 pound smoked ham, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pound hot chaurice (or Italian sausage plus 1/2 teaspoon cayenne), cut into bite-sized slices
- 1 pound boneless beef brisket, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pound veal brisket stew meat (or an additional pound of cut-up boneless beef brisket)
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon filé powder
Instructions
- Wash the greens well, trim of bad leaves and thick stems, and chop them very roughly. Place them in a large pot, along with the onion and garlic, and cover the vegetables with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for 30 minutes. Being sure to reserve all the liquid, strain the greens and set aside.
- In a 12-quart pot, place the brisket meats, ham, andouille sausage and 2 cups of the reserved liquid from the greens. Cover the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-high and steam the meats for 15 minutes.
- While the meats are steaming, place the chaurice or Italian sausage and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne in a large skillet. Pour enough water into the skillet to come about halfway up the sausage pieces, bring to a boil over high heat, and let steam until the water evaporates. If the sausages don’t start rendering fat (or much fat — chaurice will; Italian sausage may or may not depending how fatty it is), then add a little olive oil. Continue cooking in the rendered fat and/or olive oil, stirring occasionally, until they sausage is cooked through and all fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside. Keep the fat or oil in the skillet.
- Purée the drained vegetables in a food processor; set aside.
- If you have less than about 5 tablespoons of fat or oil in the sausage skillet, add enough to make about 5 tablespoon. Heat the fat and/or oil over medium heat, sprinkle the flour over it, then whisk it in to make a roux. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until the flour is cooked. Whisk in 2 cups of the reserved vegetable-cooking liquid, then pour the mixture over the meat in the stockpot. Add another 1 1/2 quarts (12 cups) of the cooking liquid to the stockpot, along with the pureed vegetables. (Reserve the rest of the cooking liquid in case it is needed later.) Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Add the chaurice or Italian sausage, the thyme, salt and cayenne and stir well. Continue to simmer for 40 more minutes, until the flavors have deepened and melded. Add the filé powder and stir well. If gumbo is too thick, add enough of the reserved cooking liquid to achieve the desired texture; it should be like a thick soupy-stew. Adjust the seasoning, and remove from the heat. Serve over steamed rice.
