Gumbo z-herbs - John Besh

By contessawannabe

Ingredients

• • 1 tbsp. rendered bacon fat, or oil
• • 2 onions, diced (about 13/4 cups)
• • 1 stalk celery, diced (about 1/3 cup)
• • 3 cloves garlic, minced
• • 3 smoked ham hocks, rinsed
• • 21/4 lb. mixed greens (mustard, turnip, collards, kale, arugula, spinach, cress and/or sorrel), washed, stemmed and roughly chopped
• • 15 cups (33/4 qt.) water
• • 3/4 lb. fresh or frozen okra, chopped
• • 1 bay leaf
• • Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• • 1 clove, crushed
• • 1/4 tsp. allspice
• • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• • Salt and black pepper
• • 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• • 2 cups cooked white rice (made with 2/3 cup long grain rice)
• • 2 green onions, chopped

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

In a large pot, heat the bacon fat over high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent and not browned, about 5 minutes. Add celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the ham hocks, chopped greens and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, add the okra, bay leaf, thyme, clove, allspice, cayenne pepper and a dash of salt. Simmer, covered, 2 hours.

Remove the pot from the heat and season to taste with an additional 1½ to 2 teaspoons salt (depending on the saltiness of the ham hocks) and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Remove the ham hocks; remove and discard bones. Chop the meat (with skin), discarding any big chunks of fat, and return it to the soup. Divide between 6 soup bowls and garnish each with a tablespoon of chopped egg, a couple of spoonfuls of rice and the green onions.