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Swampy Pat’s secret to gumbo? Guinness
By now, you’ve hopefully recovered from yesterday’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities, but if you can’t stomach drinking another Guinness, consider all the glorious ways you can cook with it.
In yesterday’s paper, I wrote about how you can add the thick stout to ice cream, stews and breads, but my new favorite way to use Guinness in cooking is in gumbo.
The idea came from my friend, who earned the nickname Swampy Pat for obvious reasons. The Louisiana native is Cajun through and through, and his grandmother’s secret to making killer gumbo was a can of Guinness. If you already have a tried-and-true gumbo recipe, just replace some of the water or stock with a can of Guinness Draught. If you don’t have a gumbo recipe, try the recipe below that ran in Wednesday’s paper.
Of note: When you’re buying Guinness at the store, it’s important to know what you’re getting. Guinness Extra Stout is often sold right next to Guinness Draught, but the beers are very different. Draught has a much more mild and less bitter flavor, which is why I used it in the gumbo. If you buy Extra Stout, you might use less than a whole bottle.
Guinness Gumbo with Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp
4 chicken thighs, skin on
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 lb. Andouille sausage, sliced
8 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock
1 can Guinness Draught
1 tsp. thyme
Bay leaves
1 Tbsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere’s, etc.)
Hot sauce (optional)
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 bunch greens, such as chard or collards, chopped (I used greens because that’s what’s in season. When I have okra growing in my backyard later this year, I’ll use it.)
Juice of half a lemon
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a large pot over medium high heat, fry chicken thighs, skin side down first. After about eight minutes, flip the chicken and continue cooking until chicken is cooked and fat has been rendered. Remove the meat and set aside to cool, leaving hot fat in the pot.
To make the roux, add flour to the fat and cook for several minutes, stirring frequently, until the color has turned dark brown but not burnt. Add onions, celery and bell pepper and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until vegetables have softened. Add sausage and garlic and continue cooking for another five minutes.
Once the chicken has cooled, pull meat off the bone and into piece and add back to pot. Add stock, Guinness, bay leaves, thyme, Cajun seasoning and hot sauce, to taste. Simmer for about 30 minutes and then add shrimp and greens. Cook another 10 minutes, until shrimp are cooked and greens have softened. Add lemon juice. Serve with white or dirty rice, crackers and hot sauce. Serves 6 to 8.
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By Norma Stovall
March 21, 2010 2:01 PM | Link to this
Article was so inspiring, I thought I’d try the gumbo. The recipe in the Statesman left out the important step to put the chicken back in the pot. I figured it out, but I had to keep rereading the recipe. It’s still simmering on my stove; looks like it may not be as thick as necessary. We are looking forward to eating it soon! Thanks for the tip about using Guinness.