Scallop Gumbo
GUMBO, the Southern stew, is like many regional dishes: there are nearly as many interpretations as there are cooks. Most include the common Louisiana trinity of vegetables: green peppers, celery and onion.
Some include meat, often a spicy sausage like andouille, in addition to or in place of shellfish. And while some gumbos rely on okra as a thickener, others use a roux, a combination of flour and fat cooked until brown and tasty.
What I like about this gumbo is that it borrows a little from many approaches to create a lighter, more contemporary dish: a one-pot meal that’s ideal for any occasion calling for a crowd-pleaser.
The scallops (you could use shrimp or other shellfish) add a bit of elegance, but not so much that you lose the real character of a gumbo, the aromatic vegetables as well as herbs, tomatoes and cayenne.
The roux is the most labor-intensive part of this recipe, but even though it’s a small amount it creates a silky, rich stew rather than a superthick one; it’s worth the effort. Keep the heat low and whisk the roux constantly, and you should be fine.
Once the roux browns, it’s simply a matter of adding the vegetables, stock and aromatics and giving the flavors time to meld.
The scallops go in at the very end of cooking, and even then for only a couple of minutes until — just until — they turn opaque. Serve this over rice if you like, or on its own.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and black pepper
2 to 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
2 cups chopped tomatoes with their juice (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
Cayenne to taste
1 pound scallops
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish.
1. Put oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, add flour and cook, stirring almost constantly, until roux darkens and becomes fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes; as it cooks, adjust heat as necessary to keep mixture from burning. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and raise heat to medium. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes.
2. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and cayenne. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat so soup bubbles steadily. Cook for about 20 minutes or until flavors meld. Add scallops and cook until they are no longer translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve, garnished with parsley.