Best 13 File Recipes

EMERIL'S COUNTRY FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the roux in a medium-sized heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Stir mixture until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the browned sausage, bay leaves, Worcestershire, hot sauce, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
• Bring gumbo to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until gumbo is slightly reduced, about 50 minutes. (Gumbo should cook long enough for the roux flavor to mellow and for any floury taste to dissipate.)
• Season the shrimp with the Essence in a small bowl. Stir in the seasoned shrimp, crabmeat, green onions, parsley, thyme and basil. Cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Sprinkle in file powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more, or pass file at the table for guests to thicken as desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.
• Serve in warmed soup bowls over steamed white rice.
• Place a heavy, iron Dutch oven, (or iron skillet with deep sides) over medium heat and heat the oil until just smoking. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly, until roux becomes smooth and thick. Continue to cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon and reaching all over bottom of pan, until roux darkens to desired color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. The roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specs appear you must start over.
• For a Light Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the color of peanut butter. Remove about 1 cup of the light colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for the Delmonico's Seafood Okra Gumbo.
• For a Medium Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the color of a copper penny when ready. Remove about 13/4 cups of the medium colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for Emeril's Country File Gumbo.
• For a Dark Brown Roux, cook the mixture an additional 35 to 45 minutes. The color should resemble dark chocolate when ready. Remove all of the remaining dark roux from the pan and cool completely. Set aside for the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. (See Cook's Note)
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.

FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat some vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat and cook the chicken in batches until it is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the flour to the chicken juices and stir continuously. Add the butter and cook the roux until it is brown.
• Add the peppers, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and 1 quart of water. Stir well and bring to a boil. When the vegetables are soft, put the chicken back into the pot and add the remaining water. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and ham until they are browned. Add them to the pot along with the shrimp and stir well. Let the gumbo simmer for 1 hour, then add the okra. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat. Ladle a couple of cups of the liquid into a mixing bowl. Add the file powder and whisk until well blended. Pour back into the stock pot and mix well. It's ready to serve!

FILé GUMBO

Steps:

• Cook chicken if it's not already cooked. Leftovers work fine for this. Set aside.
• Place sausage in a large stockpot over medium high heat, and cook until lightly browned, and some oil is released. Set aside with chicken.
• Add 2 tbsp oil to pot, and saute onion, bell pepper, and celery until soft. Add garlic in the last few minutes. Set vegetables aside with chicken and sausage, wipe stockpot to remove any vegetable pieces.
• Add 1/4 cup oil to pot, and allow to heat over medium until it starts to "shimmer". Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly until the flour and oil mixture takes on a rich brown color. If I'm using sausage or ham, I like to do a chocolate colored roux, for seafood and poultry, I like a caramel color. Use your own judgment.
• When your roux is as you like it, add the chicken broth (You may sub seafood broth, or turkey stock, depending on your ingredients) stir constantly while adding broth to avoid lumps. You should have something resembling a thin gravy.
• Add meats and vegetables back to pot, add cajun seasoning. (I like Tony Chachere's, but you can use any kind you like. If this ingredient is not available in your area, several good ones have been posted to Zaar.).
• Simmer your gumbo for half an hour, or more if you like, keeping the heat low to avoid breaking the roux. This gives time for the flavors to mingle. If you're using a delicate shellfish, like shrimp, add it later in the simmer to avoid toughening it.
• When ready to serve, add hot sauce and filé, stir well, and ladle over a bowl of rice. Keep the filé, hot sauce, and Cajun seasoning out on the table, so diners may add more of any they like. This is wonderful accompanied by a loaf of crusty French bread and a crisp salad.

GUMBO - SHRIMP, TASSO HAM, ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, CHICKEN, FILE'

Steps:

• Separately, chop / prepare all ingredients necessary as defined above and set aside.
• Heat a large heavy pot (cast iron / enameled cast iron) on medium high until pre-heated. Add some oil and saute each meat separately and in batches to brown nicely. (A pain, but worth it, I promise). Start with Andouille, then Tasso, and chicken. Some of the meat will stick and that is perfect. It imparts a rich flavor that is important to your gumbo. After browning, set aside.
• ROUX: This is a critical step that requires constant tending. The goal is to cook this flour until it is somewhere between brown and black without burning it.Go for the color of a Hershey's kiss or darker. It is required to make the gumbo you want to make and well worth it. This takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get the right color. Each time I make gumbo I try to get it darker and darker. Don't be afraid to turn the heat up and down even if it take you longer. Better to take longer than to burn it. If you have black flecks, you have burned it and must start over. (You can do it perfectly though!).
• Add 2 cups oil and 2 cups flour to the.
• Pour the 2 cups oil and 2 cups flour into your pot. Stir slowly, consistently until it is brown / black. (It will happen. Just keep going.).
• When the roux has reached the desired color, add the chopped celery, onion and peppers and stir constantly for 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Cast irons hold heat well, so feel free to lower your temperature and just cook longer).
• Add chicken stock one ladle / cup at a time, stirring in between each addition to keep temperature and to make sure your roux doesn't break).
• Add all meats and drippings (except shrimp) and reduce to simmering uncovered for three hours stirring delicately and occasionally. Add shrimp and cook for 15 minutes more.
• Taste a little to adjust seasonings to your preference and then refrigerate in pot for three - four days.
• Reheat when ready to serve. Serve over rice topped with fresh parsley. Allow each diner to sprinkle their own file' for thickening and flavor.

SEAFOOD FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Shell and devein the shrimp, reserve the shells. Place the shrimp in a covered bowl and refrigerate. Place the shells on a cookie sheet, and bake until the shells are dried and starting to brown on the edges. Turn off the oven.
• Make the stock: In a 8 quart pot, put 5 quarts of water, 4 carrots, 4 onions, and celery. Add 2 bay leaves, sliced garlic, parsley, cloves, 1 teaspoons black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried basil and 2 teaspoons dried thyme. Add the shrimp shells. Bring the stock slowly to boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook 5 to 7 hours, replacing water as needed, 2 or 3 times, by pouring more water down side of pot.
• Remove stock from heat and strain. Press all liquid from the shells and vegetables, then discard them. Return liquid to heat and reduce stock to 2 to 3 quarts, or to your desired quantity (you will need 7 cups of this stock for this recipe). If clarity is desired, strain the stock through a cloth.
• In a small bowl, combine the ground red, white, and black peppers, paprika, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and salt and set aside.
• In a heavy pot, 5-quart or larger, heat oil over medium heat, warming the pot first. Add onions, celery and green pepper. Turn heat to high. Stirring frequently, add garlic, file, hot pepper sauce, and the pepper-herb mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomato sauce and stir as it reduces over high heat. Add 7 cups of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• When ready to serve, add shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat. Cover and wait 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

COMMANDER'S PALACE DUCK, WILD MUSHROOM AND ANDOUILLE FILé GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 cup flour. Heat oil in a large, dry Dutch oven over high heat until smoking, about 5 minutes. Dust duck with flour mixture, shake off excess and sear in the oil 5 minutes until brown on all sides. Remove from pan.
• In the same pan over medium heat, slowly add the 1 cup of sifted flour. Stir constantly, to prevent burning, until mixture is a light-brown color, about 6 to 7 minutes. (If the roux has black flecks in it, it is burned and must be remade.)
• Remove from heat, add the onions and stir well. Lower heat to medium, return the pot to heat and add the celery, stirring for 30 seconds, then the bell peppers, and stir, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot. Add garlic, then all remaining seasoning except file powder. Slowly add the veal stock, continuing to stir.
• Add the duck, sausage and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer 2 1/2 hours. Skim off excess fat. Remove duck pieces from the pot and when cool, remove and discard bones and return duck meat to the pot. Return gumbo to boil and vigorously stir in the file powder until dissolved. Add Louisiana-style hot sauce to taste and serve over white rice.

GUMBO FILé

Steps:

• In a kettle blanch the crabs in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain them, and let them cool until they can be handled. Discard the top shells, the aprons, the gills, the sand sacs, and the mouths and reserve the crabs.
• In a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, melt the shortening over moderately low heat, add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring constantly, for 30 minutes, or until it is the color of cocoa. Stir in the onion and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion begins to brown. Add the okra and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the okra is golden. In a kettle bring 8 cups water to a boil, add the roux mixture, the ham, the tomatoes with the juice, the bell pepper, the garlic paste, the bay leaf, the parsley, the thyme, and the celery leaves, and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 50 minutes. Stir in the reserved crabs and simmer the gumbo for 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and the lump crabmeat, if used, simmer the gumbo for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are firm, and season it with the cayenne and salt. Discard the bay leaf and serve the gumbo sprinkled with the filé powder.

FILE CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• To make chicken stock, place all ingredients into 8-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming impurities off the top. Remove chicken pieces. Allow chicken to cool, remove meat from bones, and then return bones to stock. Reserve chicken meat for the gumbo. Continue to simmer stock for additional 2 1/2 hours.
• To make gumbo, begin by heating oil in a large pot (preferably an enameled cast iron or other heavy-bottomed pot) and cooking garlic, onions, peppers, and celery until soft and translucent. Add sausage, tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and add okra and reserved cooked chicken meat. Season with hot pepper sauce, cayenne, salt, pepper, and file. Simmer for 1 hour until flavors meld together. Stir in chopped parsley. Serve over hot rice and garnish with julienned scallions.

FRIED CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE-FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Make a roux by blending the flour into the oil in the pot and stirring constantly with a long-handled spoon until the mixture is a deep coffee brown. Add the sausage, ham, onion, green pepper and celery. Saute, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add the browned chicken, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves and enough water to cover, stirring to incorporate the roux into the liquid.
• Stir in salt and pepper and simmer the soup slowly, partly covered, until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour. If you are using the very spicy rind of tasso ham, you will probably not need cayenne or Tabasco. Otherwise, add either toward the end of cooking.
• Take out the chicken and set aside just until cool enough to handle. Pull off the skin and bones and return the chicken to the soup in large pieces. Adjust seasoning if needed. The soup can be prepared in advance up to this point and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 days. Skim fat from soup.
• Bring the soup to a simmer. Five minutes before serving, remove from heat and stir in the file powder. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes. Do not boil the soup after the file has been added. Mound rice in soup plates and ladle the gumbo over.

SHRIMP FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil over high heat. Add chicken and brown evenly. Remove and place in warm oven to keep warm. Make the roux by adding the flour to the oil in the pot, stirring constantly until dark brown (milk chocolate) over low heat. When the roux reaches the right color, quickly add the sausage, onion, green pepper, shallots parsley and garlic. Continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes more, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 cup water, the browned chicken, and all of the seasonings except the file powder and mix gently but thoroughly. Keeping the heat at low, gradually add the rest of the water and bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring gently. When it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is quite tender. Remove the chicken and some of the sausage slices with a slotted spoon to a deep bowl and reserve for a different meal. Add the shrimp and cook about 8 minutes. Remove the pot and let the simmer die down. Add the file powder and stir. Let the gumbo stand in the pot for about 5 minutes after adding the file, then serve over boiled rice.

CHICKEN, SAUSAGE, OYSTER AND FILE GUMBO

Steps:

• On medium heat warm cooking oil, then add flour. Stir constantly until roux turns medium/dark brown. Add onion and saute until onions are translucent. Add the chicken, livers, green onion and parsley. Mix well. Stirring constantly cook over medium/high heat until a gravy is made from chicken and chicken is slightly browned. Turn heat down to sliimer/low and add enough boiling water to just cover. Cover pot and cook until chicken is almost done. Add the smoked sausage, Andouille sausage and salami. Add the remaining boiling water and chicken stock/broth and cook 2 - 3 hours covered, stirring occasionaly. Add the oysters and reserved liquid and cook for 10 minutes or until edges of oysters curl. Turn off heat. Skim most of the fat from gumbo, if desired. Remove the bones and chicken skin. Add the file and stir. Serve with cooked rice on side for individuals to pepare thier own bowl. Have salt, pepper and hot sauce on tables for each individual to season their own gumbo.

FILE’ SHRIMP AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onion and celery in margarine in a large skillet over medium heat 4-5 minutes until onion is clear. Stir in flour, salt, gumbo file' powder and cayenne pepper to make a roux. Slowly add cream and milk, stirring constantly until mixture just begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in shrimp and cheeses. Pour into 2-quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until mixture is bubbly. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and return to oven for 5 minutes. Garnish with celery leaves.

GUMBO FILE AUX CHEVETTES (SHRIMP GUMBO )

Steps:

• 1. TAKE SHRIMP BOIL AND POT OF WATER AND BOIL SHRIMP. THIS ONLY TAKES 3 MINUTES OF BOILING AND DON'T OVERDO AS SHRIMP WILL GET TOUGH. TAKE SHRIMP OUT OF WATER AND SAVE THE WATER.
• 2. PEEL AND DEVEIN THE SHRIMP AND SET ASIDE.
• 3. PREP ALL YOUR VEGS. CHOP THE OKRA, BELL PEPPER, ONION, CELERY , AND GARLIC, CUT THE WHITE OFF THE GREEN ONION AND CHOP THAT AND PUT THE GREEN PART ASIDE. PUT ALL YOUR CHOPPED VEGS TOGETHER IN A BOWL . AND SET ASIDE.
• 4. NOW MAKE YOUR ROUX. IN HOT POT PUT IN YOUR BACON GREASE/DRIPPINGS AND GET HOT. ADD YOUR FLOUR A LITTLE AT A TIME WHISKING AS YOU BROWN. WHEN THE COLOR OF CAFE OLE ADD YOUR CHOPPED VEGS AND SWEAT IT A LITTLE.
• 5. NOW IS THE TIME TO ADD A LITTLE AT A TIME SOME OF THE WATER THAT YOU BOILED YOUR SHRIMP IN. JUST ENOUGH AT A TIME TO SLIGHTLY THIN YOUR ROUX. NOT WATERY BUT JUST ENOUGH FOR THE NEXT ADDS.
• 6. ADD YOUR CAN OF ROTEL AND YOUR TONY C'S OR CAJUN SEASONING. TO TASTE. YOU CAN ALSO ADD SOME DROPS OF TABASCO IF YOU LIKE. AS YOUR TASTE CALLS.
• 7. NOW ADD DOWN THE SIDE OF THE POT SO AS NOT TO SEPARATE THE ROUX THE CHOPPED SAUSAGE, BACON CHOPPED AND COOK A LITTLE WHILE STIRRING A LITTLE BIT.
• 8. AFTER A BIT YOU MIGHT NEED TO ADD MORE OF YOUR SHRIMP COOKING WATER SO IT DOES NOT SEIZE UP ON YOU. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS YOU CAN ADD THE COOKED SHRIMP AND AFTER ABOUT 3 MINS OR SO TASTE ONE OF YOUR OKRA AND IF IT IS DONE YOUR GUMBO IS DONE.
• 9. THE GREEN TOPS OF THE GREEN ONIONS CAN BE CHOPPED AND USED AS GARNISH ON TOP OF GUMBO AS YOU SERVE IT.