‘Jubilee’ Gumbo Z’herbes
This recipe for green gumbo — also known as “the queen of all gumbos” — is adapted from Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking, by Toni Tipton-Martin. It gets its body from long, slow simmering rather than a roux.
[Read “In celebration of gumbo z’herbes, a gloriously green, soul-nourishing Louisiana Lenten tradition.”]
Serves 10 to 12.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound collard greens, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 1/2 pounds greens (such as mustard, turnip greens, watercress, kale, chard, beet and carrot tops, spinach), washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
‘Jubilee’ Gumbo Z’herbes, prepared from a recipe in ‘Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking’ by Toni Tipton-Martin
1/2 pound beef brisket, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
1/2 pound smoked andouille sausage, sliced into thick coins
1/2 pound ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño or serrano chile
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 to 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 quart chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
1. In a very large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, combine the collards and 6 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the collards are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the greens, cabbage and 1 tablespoon salt to the pot. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, until the greens are very tender. (Depending on the greens you use, this could be more than an hour.) Making sure to reserve the cooking liquid (the “potlikker”), drain the greens in a colander, then coarsely chop them.
2. Measure the potlikker — you’ll need two cups. (If you have extra, reserve it for another use.) If you don’t have enough, add water to yield two cups. Set aside.
3. Season the brisket with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. In a large skillet, heat the bacon fat or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the brisket, andouille sausage and ham and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to render the fat and brown the meats. Stir in the onions, scallions, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño or serrano and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the dried thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper and the cayenne, and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
4. In the Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the cooked greens, the reserved 2 cups of potlikker and the browned meat and vegetables. Cook for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Stir in the bay leaves and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the meats are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the parsley and fresh thyme. Serve over hot cooked rice.
'Jubilee' Gumbo Z'herbes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound collard greens, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 2 1/2 pounds greens (such as mustard, turnip greens, watercress, kale, chard, beet and carrot tops, spinach), washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 head cabbage, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 pound beef brisket, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound smoked andouille sausage, sliced into thick coins
- 1/2 pound ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño or serrano chile
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 to 3 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- In a very large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, combine the collards and 6 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the collards are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the greens, cabbage and 1 tablespoon salt to the pot. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, until the greens are very tender. (Depending on the greens you use, this could be more than an hour.) Making sure to reserve the cooking liquid (the “potlikker”), drain the greens in a colander, then coarsely chop them.
- Measure the potlikker — you’ll need two cups. (If you have extra, reserve it for another use.) If you don’t have enough, add water to yield two cups. Set aside.
- Season the brisket with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. In a large skillet, heat the bacon fat or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the brisket, andouille sausage and ham and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to render the fat and brown the meats. Stir in the onions, scallions, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño or serrano and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the dried thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper and the cayenne, and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- In the Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the cooked greens, the reserved 2 cups of potlikker and the browned meat and vegetables. Cook for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Stir in the bay leaves and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the meats are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the parsley and fresh thyme. Serve over hot cooked rice.
