Carolina fish, shrimp, & okra stew with black rice

Active: 40 minutes; Total: 1 hour 10 minutes; Serves: 6 to 8

Shrimp, medium, raw, peeled, deveined; shells reserved	1 pound
Water	3 cups
Cod or catfish fillets, skinless, halve lengthwise if large; cut crosswise into 1-inch strips	1 ½ pounds
Salt, kosher	1 teaspoon +
Oil, olive	2 tablespoons +
Flour, all-purpose	2 tablespoons
Onion, white, chopped	1 large
Bell pepper, red, chopped	1 large
Celery, chopped	2 stalks
Garlic, chopped	3 cloves
Tomatoes, diced, undrained	15 ounces
Okra, stemmed, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces	8 ounces
Worcestershire sauce	2 tablespoons
Thyme, fresh, chopped	2 teaspoons
Bay leaves, dried or fresh	2 leaves
Creole seasoning	2 teaspoons
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon +
Rice, black, cooked
Scallions, thinly sliced	Garnish

1. Combine the reserved shrimp shells and water in a medium saucepan. 
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. 
3. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids, and set the stock aside. 
4. Toss together the fish pieces and salt in a large bowl; cover and chill until ready to use, up to 1 hour. 
5. Over medium heat, warm the oil in a large Dutch oven. 
6. Add the flour, whisking constantly, until smooth and lightly browned, about 1 minute. 
7. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. 
8. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to prevent scorching, until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. 
9. Stir in the shrimp stock, tomatoes with juices, okra, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, Creole seasonings, and pepper. 
10. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. 
11. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer until the okra is almost tender, about 15 minutes. 
12. Stir in the fish and shrimp, and reduce the heat to low. 
13. Cover and cook until the fish and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. 
14. Remove and discard the bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. 
15. Serve with black rice garnished with scallions. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, October 2020

Chicken Marsala

Flour, all-purpose	½ cup
Creole seasoning	1 tablespoon
Chicken, thighs, fat trimmed	4
Oil, olive	1 tablespoon
Butter, unsalted	4 tablespoons
Mushrooms, sliced	5 cups
Marsala wine	¾ cup
Stock, chicken	1 cup
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Green onions, thinly sliced	Garnish
Pasta, angel hair, cooked

1. In a shallow plate, combine the flour and creole seasoning thoroughly. 
2. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess. 
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. 
4. Add 1-tablespoon butter, and cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate and set aside. 
5. Add 1-tablespoon butter, once melted add the mushrooms. 
6. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushroom are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. 
7. Add the Marsala wine, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. 
8. Reduce the wine by half, and then add the chicken stock; cook for 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. 
9. Lower the heat to medium, and return the chicken to the pan; continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. 
10. Swirl in the remaining 2-tablespoons butter, and add the salt and pepper to taste. 
11. Garnish with the green onions, and serve with the pasta and something green like streamed broccoli.

Duck, green onion, & chicken sausage gumbo

Active: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total: 4 hours; Serves: 10 to 12

Canola	1 cup
Flour	1 cup
Onions, large, diced	3
Duck, cut into 12 pieces	6 pounds
Creole spices	2 tablespoons
Sausage, chicken, sweet Italian, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds	2 pounds
Bell peppers, green, seeded, diced	2
Garlic, minced	2 cloves
Green onions, chopped	8
Chicken stock	2 quarts
Bay leaves	2
Sausage, andouille, chopped	1 pound
Worcestershire	1 tablespoon
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Tabasco
Rice, cooked	6 cups

1. Make the roux by heating the oil in a large cast-iron pot over high heat. 
2. Whisk the flour into the hot oil. 
3. Reduce the heat to moderate, and continue whisking until the roux takes on a nice brown color, about 15 minutes. 
4. Add the onions, stirring them into the roux with a wooden spoon. 
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue stirring until the roux is a light brown color, about 10 minutes. 
6. Season the duck with Creole spices. 
7. Add the duck to the pot, increase the heat to moderate, and cook, turning the pieces to browned, about 10 minutes. 
8. Add the Italian sausage, and stir for a minute, and then add the bell peppers and garlic; continue cooking for about 3 minutes. 
9. Add the green onions, chicken stock, and bay leaves. 
10. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 
11. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 45 minutes. 
12. Stirring occasionally, and skim off the fat from the surface of the gumbo every so often. 
13. Add the andouille sausage, and then the Worcestershire. 
14. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. 
15. Simmer for another 45 minutes, continuing to skim the fat from the surface. 
16. If possible, cool to room temperature, shred the duck meat, discarding the bones and any fat; refrigerate over night.
17. Warm the gumbo, then serve in bowls over rice.

Recipe from My New Orleans The Cookbook by John Besh.