B
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
The Observer & Baker City Herald
BETWEEN
THE ROWS
One-Pot Gumbo
WENDY SCHMIDT
Irises are
blooming
all over
Irises are beginning to bloom all over.
The kind I like best are the tall, beard-
ed, German irises. Each color seems to
have a different delicate fragrance and
there must be millions of colors and
color combinations.
The irises in my neighbor’s yard are
all the same color: two-toned red-violet,
lighter on the top, and as high as my
waist (but I am short). The fragrance
is like that of marshmallows (the kind
that came in boxes before they puffed
them a lot and put them in plastic
bags). Boxed marshmallows were drier
and more squarish.
But I digress.
There are many kinds of irises and
their relatives are plentiful. They
are bulbs — rhizomes — and grow
in all zones. There are about 200 iris
varieties. Their forms vary but all have
six-petaled fl owers.
The three inner petals are usually
erect, the three outer petals hang or
curl back. There are four main groups
of iris:
• Bulbous — all have bulbs that
become dormant and can be lifted and
replanted in late fall. The fl owers are
dainty, somewhat orchid-like. These
include: reticulata, which are short,
purple and violet-scented; Xiphiodes
(English iris); Spanish iris; Dutch iris;
and Wedgwood irises.
• Crested iris — have a small,
narrow crest at the base of hanging
petals (falls). They include I. Cristata, I.
Japonica and I. tectorum (roof irises).
• Beardless irises — such as I.
Ensata; I Foetidissima (Gladwin iris);
I. Missouriensis (western blue fl ag);
I. Pseudacorus (yellow fl at or yellow
water iris); I. Siberica (Siberian iris); I
Unguicularis (winter iris); Louisiana
irises; Pacifi c Coast irises such as I.
Douglasiana (central California up to
Oregon); I. Innominata (northern Cali-
fornia and southwest Oregon); and I.
Tenax (Washington and Oregon). There
are also spuria irises.
• Bearded irises — most irises grown
are this type. All have a tuft of hair or
beard on the three hanging petals.
Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-TNS
Gumbo with chicken, andouille sausage and Cajun spices, served on a bed of rice, offers a taste of the Lowcountry.
C REOLE C OOKING
By Gretchen McKay
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This one-pot gumbo is made with chicken,
spicy andouille sausage and the holy trinity
of Creole cooking — onion, celery and bell
pepper.
It’s adapted from a recipe booklet I bought
years ago in Charleston, South Carolina, af-
ter taking a low country cooking class at the
now-defunct Charleston Cooks. It’s a favorite
because it’s so easy to make and offers quick
cleanup. Also, it reminds me of one of my
favorite Southern cities.
Gumbo typically includes shrimp, but a
shellfi sh allergy in my house mandated I
leave it out. It also usually includes okra, a
hot weather vegetable that helps thicken the
broth. Some fi nd it slimy, and some like it
for that. It can be diffi cult to fi nd in grocery
stores but often is in ample supply in Indian
markets.
See Iris/Page 3B
EASY LOW COUNTRY GUMBO
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chicken thighs, cut into
bite-sized pieces (about 4)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons fl our
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 (15-ounce) can fi re-roasted tomatoes
½ pound andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup corn kernels
8 to 10 okra, sliced
Hot sauce, to taste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked rice, for serving
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
Place butter in large stockpot and melt over
medium heat. Add onion and cook until trans-
lucent. Add garlic and chicken to pot and cook
for 5 minutes.
Add celery and peppers and cook for another
minute. Sprinkle fl our and Creole seasoning
over meat and vegetables and stir well.
Add stock, tomatoes, sausage, thyme, bay
leaves and sugar to pot and bring to a simmer.
Cook for about 10 minutes, and then stir in corn
and okra.
Cook another minute or two, then add a
couple dashes of hot sauce, Worcestershire
sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, place a scoop of cooked rice in a
bowl and top with a scoop of the gumbo. Gar-
nish with sliced scallions.
Serves 6 to 8.
Homemade mayo: Whip it up in 5 minutes
stream. Whisk until emulsifi ed.
• Olive Oil Mayonnaise: Substitute one-
quarter of the oil with extra-virgin olive
oil, slowly streaming the vegetable oil in
fi rst.
By Genevieve Ko
Los Angeles Times
Making mayonnaise from scratch requires
only four pantry staples and takes less time
than running to the store for a new jar. Once
you’ve got it, the BLTs, tuna or egg salad in
your days ahead will be better for it.
While many homemade formulas call for
only egg yolk, I prefer to use the whole egg.
The fi nal texture is silkier and airier and
the mayonnaise is less likely to break when
you make it. Like vinaigrettes and salad
dressings, mayonnaise is an emulsifi cation
of oil and water, which naturally don’t want
to mix. The key to preventing mayonnaise
from turning into oil-slicked blobs is to add
the oil in a very slow, very thin stream as you
incorporate it.
I like it best in dishes where it gets to
shine, like this potato salad. This is the kind
you get at Korean barbecue restaurants, one
little plate of banchan among the many. It’s
perfect with grilled meat and shows off the
Whole egg mayonnaise
richness of your homemade mayo.
WHOLE EGG MAYONNAISE
Time: 5 minutes
Yields: Makes 1½ cups
It takes only minutes to make from-
scratch mayonnaise, which has a silkier
texture and fresher fl avor than the jarred
stuff. Using a food processor or blender
ensures a nearly foolproof outcome. Whether
you’re whisking by hand or using a machine,
be sure to drizzle in the oil very slowly to
prevent the mixture from breaking.
1 large egg
2½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil
Blend the egg, lemon juice and salt in
a food processor or blender until smooth.
Raw Egg Food Safety
The egg remains raw, which the USDA
says isn’t safe because of the risk of salmo-
nella. If you’re concerned, use a pasteur-
ized egg.
Make Ahead:
The mayonnaise can be refrigerated in
an airtight container for up to 5 days.
SMASHED POTATO SALAD
Time: 45 minutes
Yields: Serves 4
Genevieve Ko / Los Angeles Times-TNS
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if
needed. With the machine running, add the
oil in a very slow, steady stream. Blend just
until emulsifi ed.
Variations
• Handmade Whole Egg Mayonnaise:
Whisk the egg, lemon juice and salt in a
medium bowl. Continue whisking while
adding the oil in a very slow, steady
At Korean barbecue restaurants, small
dishes of this style of mashed potato salad
are served with the grilled meat. Cool
and creamy with mayonnaise and boiled
eggs, it’s the perfect accompaniment to
the smokiness of charred meat. Pops of
crunch from quick-pickled cucumber add
a refreshing note. Starchy Russet or other
baking potatoes smash the most easily
here; waxy ones, such as red, white or Yu-
kons, will give you a chunkier salad. While
this is ideal with homemade mayonnaise,
it’s also tasty with store-bought varieties,
especially the Japanese Kewpie brand.
See Mayo/Page 3B