FLOWER POT KITCHEN: GUMBO WITH CRAB, PRAWNS, OYSTERS AND SCALLOPS

6 Nov 2011

GUMBO WITH CRAB, PRAWNS, OYSTERS AND SCALLOPS

I JUST LOVE SHOPPING FOR A MEAL, I LOVE TO RUMMAGE THROUGH THE FISHMONGERS STOCK TO FIND MY INGREDIENTS, SOME FROM THE GARDEN AND I JUST LOVE WAITROSE FOR THOSE FAR AWAY INGREDIENTS

SO PROUD OF MY BROWNED ROUX, THIS WOULD MAKE SO MANY TOP CHEFS CRY AS IT GOES AGAINST THE PRINCIPLE OF A ROUX, BUT IS A MUST FOR CREOLE COOKING

CRAB & CHORIZO GUMBO WITH OYSTERS AND SCALLOPS IN A RICH HOLY TRINITY ROUX, WITH HOMEMADE FISH AND CHICKEN STOCK

1 whole crab

10 fresh prawns, shell on

6 fresh oysters

6 fresh scallops

8 mini cooking chorizo's sliced

200g okra

1 lrg sprig thyme leaves only

1 bunch parsley chopped

salt & pepper

1 lemon juiced

1 tin chopped toms

1.5 ltr chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 green pepper chopped

3 sticks celery chopped

1 onion fine diced

2 tsp tabasco sauce

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 ptn cooked rice per person

Peel the prawns and leave to one side, place all the shells in a sauce pan with a dash of ooil and gently fry off to release their flavours, crush them with the end of a rolling pin to release even more of their beautiful juices. Add chicken stock to the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a hot pan sear the chorizo sausages, remove from the pan, keeping the fat, add the butter to the chorizo fat and gently melt, add the flour to make the roux, cook this on a very low heat for 5-20 minutes, a nice medium brown colour is required without catching the roux.

In ooil pan fry the holy trinity, this is creole law in cooking, after a few minutes add the sliced okra, thyme cook on for 1 minute then add to the roux and cook on for a few minutes, strain the stock into the roux and stir gently, simmer for approx 10 minutes then add the crab meat and whole claws, the tin of tomato's simmer on. Taste and add lemon juice, salt and pepper, tabasco and cayenne to taste, adjusting to your own personal taste, I like all the lemon juice, lots of pepper, tabasco and cayenne, and salt I do very very last.

When happy with all the seasoning and you are ready to serve add the prawns, scallops and oysters, cook for couple of mins and serve. In a bowl place the cooked rice in a high pile in the middle and then ladle the gumbo over the rice, there is a law with gumbo you get what you get, just ladle up and don't worry about where the prawns, oysters, scallops end up. There is no law to this dish and you just use what ever fish or sausages or chicken you have to hand it is a dish of love...

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.