I don’t think you can visit Louisiana without trying Gumbo. It’s on most menu’s and is wonderful hotch potch of ingredients combined in a rich and thick liquid served with white rice. During my stay in New Orleans we visited the New Orleans Cooking Experience where the self proclaimed High Priestess of the Bayou and incredible character Boo taught us her recipe for Gumbo. It’s made by making a roux from oil and flour and then adding onion, celery and green pepper. Like most home cooking there are many variants on this classic recipe but it is well worth a try for a true taste of the South!

Serves 8
1 1.2kg whole chicken, in portions
75ml of vegetable oil
100g of plain flour
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 sticks of celery, chopped
200g of roughly sliced andouille sausage (or mexiacan chorizo or qualbasa as substitute)
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 litres of chicken stock
2 sprigs of thyme
4 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
16 shrimps
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Cooked white rice to serve
Toasted Sour dough bread to serve

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

Place the chicken portions on a large shallow baking sheet and drizzle with a little oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the flour and oil in a large pot  over a medium heat.

Continue to cook, whisking continuously until the mixture turns a rich brown.

Add the pepper, onion and celery and cook until tender. Stir in the sausage and tomatoes and then pour in the stock.

Add the thyme, bay leaves, black pepper, cayenne and garlic.

Bring to the boil and season with sea salt.

Add the chicken, shrimps and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve in bowl with a tablespoon of white cooked rice in each.

The post Deep South Gumbo! first appeared on Donal Skehan | EAT LIVE GO.

This simple little supper hardly calls for a recipe at all. It uses lots of storecupboard ingredients to pump up the volume and make the best of the fresh prawns. You could use cooked frozen prawns here or maybe some slices of smoked salmon. The fresh flavours of white wine and lemon juice really lend themselves well to seafood.

Serves 4
400g of spaghetti
6 prawns per person, peeled
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
200ml of white wine (about a wine glassful)
Juice of 1 lemon
90g of butter (about 6 tablespoons)
A generous handful of parsley, finely chopped

First things first, get the pasta on the boil, cook it according to the instructions on the pack. Drain and toss in a little olive oil and set aside. Place a pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil, gently fry the garlic and chilli for about one minute.

Add in the prawns and fry for three minutes, tossing until they have changed colour and are cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Pour the wine and the lemon juice straight into the saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer away for a minute or two and then stir in the butter until it’s melted and add half the parsley.

Add the prawns and the pasta and toss until everything is evenly combined.

Serve straight away with the remaining chopped parsley and a generous seasoning of sea salt and ground black pepper.

The post Simple Prawn and Garlic Pasta Supper first appeared on Donal Skehan | EAT LIVE GO.

I use a microplane grater to mince the garlic and chilli, its a really handy kitchen gadget. To butterfly a Dublin bay prawn, run a knife from the head to tail, being careful not to cut all the way through, then gently flatten it out.

Serves 2
8 Dublin bay prawns or langoustines, butterflied
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red chilli, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
juice of 1 lime
lime wedges and chopped coriander, to serve

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss the prawns to coat.

Heat a large griddle pan, and add the prawns.

Cook for 2-3 minutes either side or until cooked through.

Transfer the prawns to a serving plate, sprinkle with a little chopped coriander and serve with some lime wedges.

The post Chilli, Garlic and Lime Dublin Bay Prawns first appeared on Donal Skehan | EAT LIVE GO.