This week’s #SundaySupper theme is all about soul warming foods. You know, those soups, chili, stews, and other soul warming treat we seek when the weather turns cold.
When I first saw the theme, my first thought was of “Soul Food”. I’d bet that “Soul food” is one of those phrases that if you ask 10 people what it means, you’d get 10 different answers! Soul Warming foods and Soul food are one in the same to me, and when I think of Soul food, the first dish that comes to mind is Gumbo! We have a tradition in our family of making Gumbo each New Year’s day, but it’s a soul-satisfying meal whenever there’s a chill in the air.
Since I’m a Wino with latent foodie tendencies, I decided let my foodie nature rise up, and do a dish, and wine pairings this week!
Here’s my Seafood Gumbo (we …OK make that “I”, call it “Yumbo” – lame right?..but I like it!)
For me, there are two things you’ve got to get right to make a gumbo – the “roux” (I prefer mine to be dark brownish), and you must have stock that is chock full of flavors. Sure you could take a short-cut, and go with store-bought (I’ve done that for a ” quick and dirty” version of this dish, but the flavors are not as complex and intense for me. If you get those couple of things “right”, it’s clear sailing thereafter!
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
- 3/4 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
- 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- One 12-ounce bottle amber beer
- 6 cups Shrimp and Crab Stock
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 small Dungeness crabs
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Emeril’s Original Essence
- 2 cups shucked oysters with their liquor
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped tender green onion tops
- Follow directions for cleaning and prepping crab to be cooked (click [url href=”http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Cook-and-Clean-a-Fresh-Dungeness-Crab/?ALLSTEPS” title=”crab cleaning rinsing”]here[/url], except remove crab legs and claws. Follow directions for [url href=”http://www.emerils.com/recipe/6880/” title=”Shrimp Stock”]Shrimp and Crab stock[/url], except add crab shell and crab butter (roe) along with shrimp.
- Place an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, and add the oil. Allow the oil to heat for about 5 minutes, then add the flour to the pot. Stir the oil and flour together with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Continue to stir the roux for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the color of milk chocolate. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery to the roux and stir to blend. Stir the vegetables for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds before adding the beer and Shrimp and Crab Stock to the pot. Season the gumbo with the thyme, bay leaves, crabs legs, Worcestershire, salt, and cayenne. Bring the gumbo to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer the gumbo for 1 hour, skimming the foam and any oil that rises to the surface.
- Season both the shrimp with 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence. Stir the shrimp into the gumbo and cook for 2 minutes. Add the oysters to the pot and cook, stirring often, for an additional 5 minutes. Taste the gumbo and season if necessary.
- Garnish with the parsley and green onions and serve in shallow bowls over white rice.
Recommended Wine Pairings – I paired this with the Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker, a blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. It would also pair well with Viognier, a dry Rosé, or White Zinfandel. If you elect to go with a less spicy version try a Pinot Noir!
Take a look at the culinary cornucopia the #SundaySupper team has put together for this week’s gathering around the #SundaySupper table! My recommended wine pairings (click on the name of the wine to find out where to purchase) are italicized.
Main Entrees:
Pair these main dishes with Pinot Noir. Look for the 2010 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir. It’s a silky smooth Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with a core of raspberry and spice aromas and flavors, with caramel edge. Why it works: Pinot goes with just about everything. It’s a white wine, in red wine clothing, which makes it incredibly flexible with dishes and methods of prep. Pinot is sublime with poultry, and complements foods that are slow roasted, or braised.
- Carrot, Parsnip and Lentil Casserole – Happy Baking Days
- Chicken with Herbed Dumplings – Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
I recommend a Chardonnay for these dishes. Look for the 2009 MacMurray Ranch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. It’s a medium-full bodied Chardonnay that’s undergone malolactic fermentation, that’s moderately oaked. The oak aging brings vanilla and caramel notes to the party to go along with its ripe apple, tropical fruit and lemon cream character. Why it works: The texture, and weight of wine complement the dish, and it has enough acidity to “cut” the dish a bit and prepare the palate for the next mouthwatering bite.
- Chicken pot pie – Gotta Get Baked
Pair this dish with a Tempranillo from Rioja Spain. I really like the 2007 Viña Eguia Reserva. It’s shows great balance between oak and fruit with a cherry, dried herb, spice, leather and vanilla character. Why it works: Tempranillo is an underrated food pairing partner. It’s tends to be a light-medium bodied earthy red wine. It’s between a Pinot Noir and Cab. It’s fruity with moderate tannins, and acidity making it a good fit for somewhat spicy fare like Spanish, Mexican and similarly spiced fare.
- Cholula Chicken Enchiladas – Kwistin’s Favorites
Pair this classic Italian dish with Sangiovese. Try the 2010 La Mozza I Perazzi Morellino di Scansano. It’s a blend of 85% Sangiovese, 5% Syrah, 5% Alicante, plus a couple of other indigenous Italian grape varieties from Tuscany It shows juicy red and black berries, with some licorice and spice notes supported by soft dusty tannins. Why it works: The food of a place and the wine of a place is always a good place to start when pairing wine and food. On top of that, its high acidity, together with its medium-bodied character enable it to stand up to more substantial dishes. Sangiovese is a wine that loves dished prepared with fresh herbs, rich thick soups, mushrooms and tomato based dishes
- Eggplant Parmesan – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
Pair this dish with an Edelzwicker, a blend of the “noble” Alsatian varietals of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Look for the 2011 Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker. It’s an aromatic white wine with a stone fruit, spice, and hint of citrus character. Why it works: The spicy character of the wine, along with some sweetness (spicy likes sweet) and acidity make a great match!
- Roasted Roots and Fruits with Sausage – Shockingly Delicious
Chili/Stews:
Pair these hearty dishes with Cabernet Sauvignon. One of my favorites is the 2010 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon “H3” It’s from Washington State, and is a bold wine that delivers delightful floral, dark fruit, cocoa aromas followed by plum, black cherry, vanilla and cocoa flavors. Why it works: Cab works well with red meats, dishes with earthy, herbal elements. This youthful wine has plenty of fruit which make it a nice complement to longer cooked meats and stews.
- Beer-Braised Beef – Sustainable Dad
- Cowboy Beef Stew – Comfy Cuisine
- Soul Warming Hearty Beef Stew – In The Kitchen With KP
Try these dishes these with a Cru Beaujolais (not to be confused with Beaujolais Nouveau hitting the store shelfs soon), a wine from France made from the Gamay grape. Look for the 2010 Georges Debœuf Moulin-à-Vent with a wild red fruits, and white pepper character that a juicy easy drinker. Why it works: Like Pinot Noir, the Gamay grape is naturally high in acidity, and is light-medium bodied with low tannins. It pair well with dishes with veggies,earthy flavors. Great picnic wine too! Er..but I digress;-)
- Brunswick Stew and Rice – Big Bear’s Wife
- Carbonnade Flamande – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Syrah is a good match for these hearty flavorful dishes. I like the 2009 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz from Australia. It’s has a fruity core of black cherries, plums, baking spices, and vanilla that balanced by some oak. Why it works: Syrah is an ample full-bodied wine that likes thicker, fuller dishes like slow braises, stews (especially tomato-based), and one-dish meals.
- Bigos {Authentic Polish Hunter’s Stew} – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
- Hearty Moose Meatball Stew – Mrs. Mama Hen
- Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili – Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Calico Beans – Home Cooking Memories
- Chicken Cacciatore {Hunter Style Stew} with Easy Creamy Polenta –Webicurean
- Chicken & Mushroom Stew On Egg Noodles – Galactosemia in PDX
- Ham and String Beans – Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Lentil and Chorizo Stew – Vintage Kitchen Notes
Soups:
Pair these soul-warming soups with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Pouilly-Fumé region of the Loire Valley in France. Look for the 2011 Patient Cottat “Le Grand Caillou” Sauvignon Blanc. It has a lovely tropical fruit, citrus, spice and mineral character with a tangy acidity. Why it works: Sauvignon Blanc with its “green” (gooseberries, lime, green olive, papaya character and a mineral component attributable to the terroir of the Loire Valley make this a good match for vegetarian soups, spicy (hot) fare, dishes with acidic ingredients. It’s a very versatile food pairing partner in that it work nicely as a complement or a contrast.
- Easy Italian Wedding Soup – Family Foodie
- Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup – Mangiamo
- Lentil and Bacon Soup – Small Wallet, Big Appetite
- Lentil Soup with Spinach – Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Peppery Mulligatawny Soup with Cherry Tomatoes & Cilantro – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Seafood Chowder – Noshing with the Nolands
- Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup {Jjamppong} – Kimchi Mom
- Spicy Udon Noodle Soup – My Trials In The Kitchen
Pair these satisfying soups with Pinot Gris. I recommend the 2011 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection from Oregon. It has juicy lemon-lime, stone-fruit, green apple, pineapple and spice character. Why it works: Pinot Gris likes ethic foods, especially coconut-milk based curries.
- Coconut Curry Chicken Soup – Damn Delicious
- Spanish Garlic Soup – Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
Pair the rest of the soups with the aforementioned wines as noted in parentheses:
- 30 Minute Black Bean Soup – Supper for a Steal (Edelzwicker)
- Black Bean Soup – Basic and Delicious ((Edelzwicker)
- Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream – The Lovely Pantry (Edelzwicker)
- Easy Wonton Soup – Soni’s Food (Edelzwicker)
- Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} – La Cocina de Leslie (Edelzwicker)
- Roasted Jalapeno Soup – Chocolate Moosey (Edelzwicker)
- Spicy Gumbo Z’herbes – Pescetarian Journal(Edelzwicker)
- Spicy Korean Brisket Soup {Yukgaejang} – Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends (Edelzwicker)
- Canadian Beer Cheese Soup – Juanita’s Cocina (Cabernet Sauvignon)
- Chicken Soup with Dumplings – The Messy Baker(Pinot Noir)
- Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup – Mama Mommy Mom (Pinot Noir)
- Easy Chicken and Dumplings – My Catholic Kitchen (Pinot Noir)
- Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings – I Run For Wine (Pinot Noir)
- Rule of Thirds Soup – What Smells So Good? (Pinot Noir)
- Turkey Noodle Soup – Magnolia Days(Pinot Noir)
- Twisted Chicken Noodle Soup – The Meltaways (Pinot Noir)
- French Onion Soup – Momma’s Meals(Cru Beaujolais)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts (Tempranillo)
- Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Aromatic Coriander – Chattering Kitchen ((Tempranillo)
- Lasagna Soup – Cravings of a Lunatic (Sangiovese)
- Tuscan Bean Soup – The Wimpy Vegetarian(Sangiovese)
- Warm You Up Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup – Daily Dish Recipes (Syrah/Shiraz)
Desserts/Beverages:
Pair this Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (That Skinny Chick Can Bake) with the Terra d’Oro Zinfandel “Port”, a dessert wine made for chocolate! I like the what the Wine Enthusiast says about it…”The first duty of a Port-style wine is to be dazzlingly rich and sweet yet balanced in acidity, and this bottling is all that. Waves of blackberry jam, cassis and dark chocolate are brightened with zesty acidity…
- White Hot Chocolate with Orange – GirliChef
Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. And join us at 7pm EST, for our live weekly #SundaySupper chat. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.
And be sure to check out the #SundaySupper Pinterest board. We’d love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes and share them with all of our followers.
I like that you´re cooking Martin, and agree on the roux, it should be dark! Wonderful post.
Thanks Paula!
Thanks Paula…I’m liking the cooking! And the #SS family has been an inspiration!
That seafood gumbo looks amazing! Whenever I order it in a restaurant I can barely find the seafood but your picture has me drooling! Definitely making this one for my husband the seafood lover.
Thanks so much Heather! What I love about gumbo is that it versatile. We like scallops in ours too, or sometime put in calamari, mussels, and or clams…
I haven’t had a good seafood gumbo in way too long. Yours looks just divine! Wish I had a bowl for lunch today. Wonderful wine pairings and I can always count on your for great wine recommendations.
Thanks so much for the kind words Renee!
Martin that looks fantastic! Thanks for cooking up a dish and doing the wine pairings this week!
Thanks Susan! Lot’s of amazing recipes this week, and it’s fun for me to do the wine pairings!
Now I am craving seafood gumbo! Sounds so delicious. Thanks for doing the wine pairings!
Thanks so much Lane. Me too! Along with so many other great recipes this week. I’m always looking at the recipes early in the morning here in Cali before I’ve had any breakfast!
Martin~ I love it when you join the rest of us foodies and share your recipes. I have to say, they are always out of this world. I love anything seafood and this is a serious Seafood YUMBO!
Thanks so much Isabel…it’s fun for me too! I’m learning a lot about food and blogging! I’m having a great experience around the #SS table!
Thanks so much Isabel. It’s truly been an inspiration to be part of the #SS family.
Yumbo hehehe I love it!! I always love your wine pairings too!!
Thanks Bobby…it’s actually fun when I do a recipe too!
Thanks Bobbi. I hope you’re getting a chance to try some of the pairings!
Love, love gumbo and that looks so good. Love the wine pairings also as usual. I would really enjoy the wine you chose with my seafood chowder. Yummy!!
Thanks Tara! The photo doesn’t do it justice. I tell you hanging with you foodies is inspirational. Y’all make the food look finger-licking good!
Thanks for the fabulous wine pairings once again. And this gumbo looks fabulous!
Thanks Jen. I’ll have to do the some cooking (and blogging about it) a bit more often. Not sure my wife enjoys the blog bit, but she loves to set up the plate and take photos!
The gumbo looks so good! As always fantastic wine pairings – we just had some great Oregon Pinot Noir this week. I am starting to really like Pinot Noir 🙂
Beate – Thanks so much. Glad you’re getting some value out of the wine pairings! And you’ve picked the best Red wine to get friendly with!
Oh, this is total soul-warming food to me, as well. sounds fantastic – and thank you for the wonderful pairings 🙂
Heather – Thanks!
Martin, this gumbo looks lovely! I haven’t had a seafood gumbo before but I’d love to try! Thanks for the awesome wine pairings! There really is a wine for everything 🙂
Thanks so much Lyn! What I enjoy about the seafood Gumbo is that it’s flexible, you can sub in fish, mussels, squid, scallops – whatever is fresh, and available!
This looks delicious. I have never made gumbo. I will have to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Before the first time I made Gumbo, I was so nervous about making it! As I said in the post, you’ve got to be careful with the roux. If it burns you got to throw it out and start over. Though I prefer stovetop… roux can be done in the microwave. Or the flour can be browned in the oven too~
thanks for the tips! I will try it soon.
Thanks for dropping by and the kind words!
Wow a fantastic dish as well as pairings for the week. Your a superstar this week. That seafood gumbo looks amazing.
Thanks for the kind words Laura! Doing a recipe and the wine pairing is OK…I enjoy cooking (though not as much as I enjoy wine;-)…The #SS family is truly an inspiration!
You had me at gumbo my friend. You cant get any more comfort than that!
Thanks so much Veronica!
I actually laughed out loud when you threw in the “Yumbo” line – awesome! I won’t pretend that it’s not lame but I say lame stuff all the time, with pride 🙂 I’m so glad you made a dish this week to go along with your fantastic wine pairings. Seriously, you had me at seafood – that picture with the crab legs is calling my name.
LOL..thanks Nancy!
Martin, that looks fantastic! This wino must try the Yumbo!
Thanks Megan…it’s great to have a fellow Wino in the #SS Family!
I have never made gumbo before, this looks incredible! My husband would love it. And in my opinion wine is part of any comforting, warming meal – so I love the pairings!
You need to let your foodie spirit rise up more! I miss Dungeness crab and this looks and sounds awesome!!
And thanks for the pairings!
Thanks for the kind words Amy. I will indeed let me foodie spirit rise up more often. I just feel so outclassed by you real “foodies” though! Still, I do enjoy cooking and it’s fun!
I adore gumbo… the only person here who does… yours looks way too good to pass up
Thanks so much Sarah!
Thanks Martin as always for taking the time to pair all our dishes with wonderful wine. I wonder if it’s difficult to pair Korean dishes with wine since the spices and flavors aren’t well know like Chinese, Japanese and Thai. Your gumbo looks divine. I would love a big bowl of gumbo right about now.
Hi Sarah,
I believe there’s a wine for virtually any food/cuisine. If there’s a limitation I think, it’s a matter of personal experience. For example, I don’t eat Korean as much as I eat Vietnamese, and Thai (I do eat it more than Chinese though) Other than that I don’t think Korean is more challenging than other cuisines with which I have little or no experience. Thanks for the comment!
I love Gumbo and this recipe sounds fantastic Martin!Pure comfort food for this time of the year :)Thanks again for the lovely wine pairings for all our dishes 🙂
Thanks so much Soni! Congrats on the being on p1 of FoodGawker!
I love a good Gumbo – and this sounds great. Beautiful wine pairings again, Martin, and it’s funny but somehow I just knew you were going to recommend a Sangiovese for mine 🙂 I totally agree!!!
Thanks so much for the kind words Susan…and with a name like Tuscan Bean Soup, you know I had to go italian! I’m a big believer in the foods of a place and the wine of a place pairing well together. After all there is hundreds, if not thousands of years of empirical evidence!
Hi Martin,
Found the comments! Let me just say that this is the REAL DEAL gumbo–with big pieces of crab intact. It’s the way my folks always made it on the Gulf Coast. I’m definitely trying this recipe, and I admire your generous contributions of wine pairings for the various #SS dishes.
Thanks so much Alaiyo! That means a lot to me since you grew up on the Gulf Coast! It’s some good eating!
Wow…I was amazed with your seafood gumbo, it’s looks so good and thank you so much for the wine recommendations too!
Thanks so muh Faye. I hope you get a chance to try some of my recommendations…
Seafood Gumbo rocks! Thanks for the great wine suggestions Martin!
Thanks Cindy! I very much enjoy the wine pairings!
Nothing wrong with calling it yumbo! (sounds like something I would say lol) — thanks for the wonderful wine pairings–I always appreciate your suggestions as you get me to try new things!
Thanks Anne…I’m really enjoying doing the wine pairings such such creative dishes!