It’s said that Creole and Cajun cooks consider chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery the “holy trinity,” that gumbos and jambalayas traditionally begin with these three, usually one part onion, two parts bell pepper, and three parts celery. But my Louisiana friend Alexis Touchet says, “There is no cut-and-dry rule about the proportion of onion, bell pepper, and celery. Each Louisiana cook does it his or her own way. I’m also not sure that everyone uses celery in jambalaya that seems to vary but onion, bell pepper, and celery are traditional in gumbo.”
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons bacon drippings or unsalted butter
- 7 tablespoons bacon drippings or unsalted butter
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and moderately finely chopped
- 1 large celery rib, trimmed and moderately finely chopped
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid
- 1⁄4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups half-and-half blended with 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne), or to taste
- 10 large eggs, hard-cooked, peeled, and sliced about 1⁄4 inch thick
- 1⁄4 cup moderately coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup moderately coarse soda cracker crumbs
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spritz 2-quart shallow casserole or au gratin dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons drippings in large heavy nonreactive skillet over moderate heat, add onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 18 minutes until soft and lightly browned.
- Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, adjust heat so mixture barely bubbles, and cook uncovered at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes until tomatoes begin to disintegrate.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons drippings in medium-size saucepan over moderate heat, blend in our, and cook and stir 5 minutes. Whisking briskly, add cream mixture and cook, whisking constantly, 5 to 8 minutes until thickened and smooth. Season to taste with salt and black and cayenne peppers, then combine with skillet mixture.
- Now layer ingredients into casserole this way: hard-cooked eggs, tomato sauce, parsley, and cracker crumbs two layers of each should do it. Just be sure to end with crumbs.
- Slide casserole onto middle oven shelf and bake uncovered about 30 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned.
- Serve straightaway with a salad of crisp greens.
