The gumbo and the Pernod shrimp are two separate dishes but make a great combination. However, feel free to eat them separately or mix and match them with other tastiness.
Gumbo:
The key thing to remember about okra is that it can take a while to cook and an extremely long while if you do it wrong. Also, overcooked okra is pretty gross. Here's the secret: if you put acidity into your okra in the beginning, it can take up to an hour to cook due to some crazy chemical reaction okra has to acid. So, add in your tomatoes, lemon, or garlic only towards the end when the okra is pretty much cooked. Also, if you plan to use onions, make sure they are cooked before throwing in the okra. I also recommend using a cast iron pot (aka slow cooker aka crockpot) since it's amazing in retaining moisture and heat, which is crucial to cook your okra faster.
Serves 2:
- 500 g okra
- half a yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 6 slices of bacon (unless you have an inclination against pork) * Please buy bacon at your local butcher shop and never prepackaged factory bacon. I recommend (medium thickness) smoked bacon or euro bacon (aka back bacon) if you want leaner bacon.
- 1/4 cup of chicken broth
- fresh peppercorns (if you can get your hands on them) and/or green and pink crushed peppercorns
- 1 sliced or crushed ancho pepper
- spices (I put in espelette, ginger, mace, and a tad bit of paprika.) + salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 250 g shiitake mushrooms
- 250 g chopped fresh herbs (I put in coriander and green onion.)
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1. In a crockpot at medium to high heat, throw in butter.
2. As the butter begins to bubble, throw in the onion right away. Do not wait longer than that because the butter will burn. Butter melts really quickly on cast iron and ceramic, so be attentive. Cook for 4 minutes.
3. Throw in bacon. Let cook for 1 minute.
4. Throw in okra. Cover. Let cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add broth, ancho pepper, spices, peppercorns, and salt. Let cook for five minutes.
6. Add shiitakes and garlic. Cover. Let cook for 2 minutes.
7. Take off of heat. Add parmesan and herbs.
Now that the gumbo is ready, it's time for the shrimp. Leave the gumbo covered in the crockpot while you make the shrimp. The cast iron will retain its heat. Making the shrimp is the fun part but it demands speed.
Serves 2:
- 8 jumbo shrimps (aka tiger shrimp)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp of pink peppercorns
- 1 tbsp of paper thin sliced fennel (optional)
- pinch of salt, espelette, mace, and ginger powder
- 2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 oz of Pernod (or Ricard or Absinth; basically an anise based alcohol)
This is going to be fast, so get you shrimp cleaned and ingredients ready before you start. Don't forget to clean your shrimp in cold, salted water. Also, get tongs (or chop sticks) ready to flip those shrimps unless you're awesome and you flip them with a nudge of the wrist while holding the pan handle.
1. In a pan at high heat, throw in butter.
2. Once it begins to bubble (which is really quickly), remove off heat and throw (leave the burner on) and add peppercorns, fennel, spices, and garlic. Mix it us with the butter and put it back on the heat.
3. Once the butter bubbles again (which should be about 1 second), throw on the shrimps. Cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Turn the shrimps and cook for another 1.5 to 2 minutes.
4. Lift the pan above the heat and throw in the Pernod; it will sizzle like crazy. Swish your shrimp around in the Pernod immediately. Do not put it back on the heat; it is ready and tasty.
To serve it together, just put the shrimp over the gumbo. I recommend making the shrimp as an appetizer sometimes too. The sizzling and the speed really impresses people; so, try it out during a dinner party.