![]() Cook your roux until it is the color of a hazelnut shell - a little darker than milk chocolate but not as dark as dark chocolate - and it will have the consistency of a light fudge. Be sure to use a high smoke point oil or fat. Next, add equal parts fat and flour - 1 cup shortening, lard or oil to 1 cup of the just cooked oven-browned flour - to a heavy bottomed pan (cast iron works well) over medium heat. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down. You will smell a nuttiness and start to see the flour brown to the shade of peanut butter. Brown the flour in the oven, checking after 10-15 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment and sift flour onto pan. Make roux: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. It is worth every bit of effort to make this delectable, coastal Southern, comfort food staple. I am shocked and full of gratitude to have been given such a beloved and up to now secret recipe to share. Having extra browned flour on hand is always a good idea in case you want to make a bit more roux at any point. The only thing everyone agrees on is that gumbo must include the Holy Trinity: bell peppers, onion and celery!ĭorothy's technique of browning her flour in the oven is genius, as many cooks have to start over time and again after burning their roux on the stove. Some prefer a dark roux (the fattened, cooked flour that is the base for Gumbo), while others like a lighter, spicier or smokier roux. Some families make chicken and sausage gumbo others only use seafood. Because Gumbo is a special at Kitchen on Main, Dorothy and MaRanda choose a time when they can both devote an entire day to making it together.īorn from the marriage of West African stew and French bouillabaisse, Gumbo has not only been around for hundreds of years, but its countless variations shine a light on every family's heritage. By noon and perhaps after a Bloody Mary, it's time to face the roux and so it goes step by step until your clothes and hair smell like all the aromas from the pot. On a gumbo-making day, it's common to start early chopping up vegetables and preparing the shrimp. It's also made much easier with the help of folks with whom you love spending time. Gumbo is the perfect excuse for a party because it's an all day affair. Kitchen on Main Chef-owner Dorothy Overstreet and sous chef MaRanda Malone (Stephanie Spradling) This gumbo recipe is actually a result of that combined ingenuity, as well as incorporating Chef Dorothy's late father Emory Overstreet's recipe. In fact, her sous chef, MaRanda Malone, has been with her since day-one and she and Chef Dorothy collaborate and create together. Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter, The Bite.Ĭhef Dorothy has an entirely female cooking staff her line chef, expo chef and sous chef are all women. Even now that she has the restaurant and spends most of her days cooking, she is still an avid cook at home. Similar to music, cooking relaxes her and helps her wind down. Thanks to the songs she wrote and co-wrote - featured in films, television and on various artists' albums - her royalties funded her culinary education and ultimately helped her open Kitchen on Main. She was known for always having something hot and homemade simmering on the stove and ready to share with her co-writers during breaks. Before attending Le Cordon Bleu, Dorothy made her living as a songwriter in Nashville. Raised by exceptional cooks, Chef Dorothy developed a love and passion for cooking at an early age and has loved feeding people for as long as she can remember. ![]() It has great energy which you can feel as soon as you walk through the door. There is always laughter and the pleasing sounds of people enjoying themselves, both from the patrons dining and from the folks on payroll. Despite being the perfect spot for a romantic dinner for two, it also has the friendly feel of a neighborhood restaurant you might stop in for a drink at the bar. ![]() Kitchen on Main is cozy, seating about 40 to 50 at full capacity, with exposed brick walls, white table cloths and candles. She is known both for her steaks as well as her seafood, all of which is highest quality and cooked to exquisite perfection.Īlthough not quite as hidden anymore, Kitchen on Main remains a true gem.Ĭhef Dorothy Overstreet (Stephanie Spradling) Her menu is innovative and inspired, with the freshest ingredients each season has to offer. In effect, she has created her own fusion: classic French cooking with nods to Asian, Creole and Cajun cuisines. Her food is heavily influenced by growing up in Bayou La Batre (the seafood capital of Alabama) and by all the gifted cooks in her family. She will tell you she merely honed her skills while attending culinary school thanks to all she learned from her parents. This lemon meringue pie helped me both celebrate and mourn my mother
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