Project Foodie - Iris Rideau's Okra Gumbo

Iris Rideau's Okra Gumbo

Save Recipe: Iris Rideau’s Okra Gumbo

Creole-inspired dinners are a frequent occurrence at Rideau Vineyards thanks to New Orleans native Iris Rideau and her southern heritage where entertaining family and friends was an integral part of every-day living. Today, Iris shares with us one of her Creole dishes, Okra Gumbo, which highlights all that is great about traditional Creole food. Iris recommends pairing the Gumbo with her 2005 Chateau Duplantier Cuvée because as she says "The spiciness of this Syrah-based Cuvée blends beautifully with the heartiness of a gumbo. The Grenache and Mourvedre complement the flavors of this traditional Creole Southern dish".

Iris Rideau's Okra Gumbo

Makes 12 Servings

½ ham with bone in or 1 ½ boneless ham plus 2 ham hocks
5 ½ quarts water
1 ½ pounds unshelled shrimp
½ pound andouille sausage, sliced
Olive oil
12 chicken drumettes
3 pounds okra, fresh or frozen, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper
1 ½ onions, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
5 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
6 to 8 bay leaves
Cajun seasoning
3 crab legs, cut at joints
Cooked Rice

Slice ham from bone, if using ham on the bone. Cut ham into small cubes. Place ham bone or ham hocks in large stock pot and add 4 quarts water. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover and simmer 3 to 4 hours. Remove ham bone and discard. Reserve stock.

Peel and devein shrimp, separately reserving shrimp and shells. Rinse shells lightly and place in saucepan with 6 cups water. Bring to boil over high heat, then simmer 45 minutes. Strain stock and set aside.

Sauté sausage in 1 teaspoon olive oil in Dutch oven until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Do not wash pan. Add ham cubes and sauté. Remove from pan, then add chicken and sauté until browned. Remove from pan.

Without washing the pan, add fresh okra, season lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil if needed (if using frozen okra, place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, then sauté as directed). Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, about 30 minutes, until okra is no longer slimy.

Transfer okra mixture to large stock pot. Add 2 cups shrimp broth, 2 cups ham broth and stir. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 1 ½ hours. Add ham, sausage and chicken, cover and simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Add 1 ½ to 2 cups shrimp broth and 3 cups ham broth and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 1 to 1 ½ hours longer. (It may be necessary to add some broth earlier if meats appear dry).

Season shrimp lightly with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning to taste. Saute in 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil until pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan. When ready to serve add shrimp and crab legs to gumbo and simmer, 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Serve over rice.

About 2005 Chateau Duplantier Cuvée

The Rideau Vineyard flagship Rhône-style blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, offers up abundant notes of cassis, kir, cedar box and wet forest floor with tones of fig. The finish has long, lingering earthy undertones. We recommend decanting this wine in its youth. Iris Rideau's namesake (Duplantier) blend has gained great popularity and garnered numerous gold medals over the years.

About Rideau Vineyard

Rideau Vineyards was founded in 1997 by New Orleans native, Iris Rideau. Early on in the winery's inception, Iris Rideau decided to dedicate her estate vineyard entirely to Rhone varietals. She felt that Rhone wines were not only ideally suited to the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, but also instinctively felt that they were best suited to the Creole cuisine of her childhood. Indeed, as the vines matured, and the first estate wines were produced, Iris soon began hosting a series of Creole-inspired dinners, with each dish paired with a Rhone varietal. Today, Iris continues to host frequent events held at the winery grounds, pairing the food of her homeland with Rhone varietals.