Gumbo Z'herbes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large heavy-bottomed pot or 8-quart Dutch oven
• •Second large pot for blanching greens
• •Long-handled wooden spoon or roux whisk
• •Large colander
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the ham hock

   Place the smoked ham hock in a large pot with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 1 hour while you prepare the greens. The ham hock needs this head start to become tender and release its smoky essence into the liquid. You'll use this flavorful stock as your gumbo base.

   A good ham hock should have plenty of meat clinging to the bone and a deep smoky aroma. Ask your butcher for a meaty one.
2. 2

   Wash the greens thoroughly

   Fill your sink with cold water and submerge each type of green, swishing vigorously to release sand and grit. Lift the greens out (don't drain the sink or the grit goes right back on them), empty the dirty water, and repeat until no sand remains at the bottom. This may take three or four washings for field greens. Sandy gumbo ruins everything. Tear or roughly chop the greens into 2-inch pieces, keeping them separated by type for now.

3. 3

   Blanch the hearty greens

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Working in batches, blanch the collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, cabbage, and kale for 3 to 4 minutes each until wilted but still bright green. Transfer to a colander with a slotted spoon and let drain. The blanching removes bitterness and ensures the heartier greens will be tender in the final gumbo. Reserve 2 cups of the blanching liquid.

4. 4

   Blanch the tender greens

   Add the spinach and watercress to the same boiling water and blanch for just 30 seconds. These delicate greens cook down to almost nothing if overcooked. Transfer immediately to the colander. Once all greens are cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess water in handfuls, then roughly chop everything together. You should have about 6 cups of cooked greens.

5. 5

   Build the roux

   Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Whisk in the flour and keep whisking constantly. I mean constantly. Don't answer the phone, don't check your messages, don't walk away for even thirty seconds. The roux will go from white to blond to peanut butter to brick red to chocolate brown over about 45 minutes. You want that deep chocolate color, the color of dark coffee, with a nutty smell that fills your kitchen.

   If you see black specks or smell burning, start over. There's no saving a burned roux, and it will make your entire gumbo bitter.
6. 6

   Cook the trinity

   The moment your roux reaches that chocolate color, add the diced onion, celery, bell pepper, and the white parts of the green onions all at once. The roux will seize and sizzle violently. This is right. Keep stirring continuously as the vegetables soften and the sizzling calms down, about 5 minutes. The vegetables will release moisture that stops the roux from cooking further.

7. 7

   Add garlic and seasonings

   Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bay leaves, thyme, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Stir everything together so the spices bloom in the residual heat. Your kitchen should smell like Louisiana right now.

8. 8

   Build the gumbo

   Carefully transfer the ham hock and all its cooking liquid to the pot with the roux. Add the reserved blanching liquid and enough additional water to make about 3 quarts total. Stir well to incorporate the roux completely, scraping up any bits from the bottom. The liquid will look muddy at first, then smooth out as the roux dissolves.

9. 9

   Add the greens

   Stir in all the chopped blanched greens along with the parsley. The pot will seem impossibly full. Don't worry. Push them down, stir them in, and they will settle as they simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the greens are completely tender and the flavors have married into something greater than the sum of their parts.

10. 10

    Finish the ham

    Remove the ham hock to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone, discarding the skin, fat, and bone. Chop or shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot. There won't be as much meat as you expect from that big hock, but what's there is precious, concentrated pork flavor.

11. 11

    Final seasoning

    Stir in the butter and apple cider vinegar. The butter adds richness, the vinegar brightens all those earthy greens. Now taste. Really taste. Adjust the salt, add more cayenne if you want heat, more black pepper if it needs bite. The gumbo should taste deeply savory with a whisper of smoke and a long, complex finish from the greens. Remove the bay leaves.

12. 12

    Serve the gumbo

    Ladle generous portions over mounds of hot white rice in deep bowls. Scatter the sliced green onion tops over each serving. Set out the hot sauce for those who want extra heat. This is food for contemplation, for gathering, for gratitude. Take your time with it.

    Gumbo Z'herbes is even better the next day after the flavors have had time to deepen overnight in the refrigerator.

Chef Tips

• •The tradition says to use an odd number of greens, at least seven. I use nine at Lagniappe. Use what you can find fresh: chard, beet tops, carrot tops, radish greens, arugula all work. The variety is what makes this gumbo complex and interesting.
• •If you can find tasso ham, dice about half a pound and add it with the trinity. It adds another layer of smoky, spicy pork flavor that takes this gumbo over the top.
• •For a darker, more intense gumbo, you can cook the roux even darker, almost to the edge of burning. This takes courage and constant attention, but the flavor is extraordinary.
• •Some old recipes call for adding a whole allspice and a few cloves to the pot. I like the warmth it adds, especially around Easter. Remove them before serving.
• •Don't skip the vinegar at the end. It seems like a small thing, but that touch of acid lifts all the heavy, earthy flavors and makes them sing.

Advance Preparation

• •The greens can be washed, stemmed, and blanched a day ahead. Store squeezed and chopped in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
• •The completed gumbo improves dramatically overnight. Cool completely, refrigerate, and reheat gently the next day. The flavors will have deepened and married beautifully.
• •Gumbo Z'herbes freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly, adding a splash of water if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)