Digest

Gumbo z’herbes, a traditional New Orleans Lenten meal, is a whole different pot o’ soup than the rich, roux-thickened, andouille-laden gumbos that are cooked year-round. speyerer explains that the name is a contraction of gumbo aux herbes. The dish is made with greens, and the more types used the better. Tradition holds that an odd number will bring good luck, and the number you use will be the number of friends you’ll make in the coming year.

Because it’s a Lenten dish, gumbo z’herbes traditionally is made without meat, though MakingSense says it is usually cooked with meat broth. It’s a light dish, made without roux, and unlike other gumbos it’s not served over rice. speyerer’s family recipe, which serves 20, doesn’t use meat broth. Here it is:

1 bunch mustard greens

1 bunch collard greens

1 bunch turnip greens

1 bunch spinach

1 bunch scallions

1 bunch Italian parsley

1 bunch watercress

1 bunch beet tops

1 bunch carrot tops

1 bunch radish tops

1 bunch dandelion greens

1/2 head green leaf lettuce (not iceberg)

1/2 head cabbage

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (enough to just cover the bottom of the pot)

2 medium onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 small turnips, peeled and cubed

2 cups dry white wine

Water to cover

3 teaspoons Creole seasoning

Wash greens and drain well. Cut out stems and center ribs and tear greens into small pieces. In a cast iron pot, add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pot and heat oil until it is hot. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add greens and cubed turnip. Add wine, water to cover, and Creole seasoning and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until greens are tender, about 2 hours. Serve greens hot with their cooking liquid or “pot likker.”

Board Link: Lenten Treat? --- Gumbo Z’herbes

Green garlic is a great find in early spring farmers’ markets; you can also occasionally find it in season in some Chinese produce markets. It resembles scallions but has a distinctly garlicky scent and subtle garlic flavor. It’s delicious sliced and added to a sauté, or stir-fried over high heat with beef or lamb and finished simply with soy sauce and sesame oil. LNG212 minces green garlic along with fresh herbs and mixes them into soft, fresh goat cheese to make a tasty spread (with a little milk to loosen if necessary). torty uses green garlic to make salsa in a food processor with well-drained canned tomatoes, cilantro, chipotles en adobo, lime juice, and a touch of sugar.

Board Link: Green Garlic

Haddock is a firm-fleshed, mild white fish; it can be used interchangeably with cod and can sometimes stand in for halibut. It’s a traditional choice for frying in fish and chips, but it cooks up well in plenty of other ways.

When baking haddock, flavoring can be as simple as salt and pepper with a splash of white wine and a squeeze of lemon, or a sprinkle of minced garlic and a slick of olive oil. For a homey dish, put salted-and-peppered fillets in a greased baking dish, coat them with mayo, and press on a mixture of crushed Ritz crackers and just enough melted butter to wet the crumbs slightly. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. For a Mediterranean twist, bake with a bit of olive oil, marinara sauce, broth (not enough to completely cover the fish), artichokes, olives, capers, and cherry or plum tomatoes at 400°F for around 20 minutes, uncovered.

Sautéed haddock can also take on many guises. Turn it into fish tacos by seasoning appropriately (e.g., with chili powder, garlic, and cumin) and sautéing in a bit of oil, breaking it into pieces as it cooks. When it’s done, squeeze on fresh lime juice and serve in tortillas with shredded cabbage and Mexican crema or sour cream, etc. jayt90 likes haddock in cheese sauce: Sauté scallions in butter, add the fillets, and sear briefly, then remove to a plate. Prepare the sauce in the pan, making a roux with flour and the butter you’ve used for sautéing, whisking in white wine and cream and some herbs, and melting in some cheese. Return the fish to the pan and gently spoon the sauce over it until it’s cooked, three to five minutes.

Poaching is another fast, simple way to prepare haddock. Bring water or broth and some white wine to a bare simmer (add some herbs if you like), poach the fillets for a few minutes, and then turn and poach a few minutes more—not more than 10 minutes per inch of thickness, and less will probably do it. Remove the fish to a warm plate. If you like, you can boil down the poaching liquid, add a pat of butter, and use it as a sauce. Poach chunks of haddock in any saucy base you might prepare: a Thai curry with coconut milk, a tomato-fennel fish stew, or any kind of soup.

Board Link: ISO–Haddock ideas