Rabbit and Alligator Gumbo

Gumbo has a rich and unique history based on the melting pot of cultures that came together in Louisiana in the the 18th century. French, Spanish, African, and Native American ingredients and techniques all influence the character of this famous dish. Gumbo is a truncation of the African Bantu word for okra ki ngombo, one of gumbo's defining elements.

As with many traditional stews, what went into the pot was based on what was cheap and readily available, and in Louisiana that meant seafood, chicken, sausage, game, and vegetables such as okra peppers and onions were all used in varying proportions depending on the region and season.

Gumbo can be divided into two broad categories Cajun and Creole. Creole gumbo most often consists of seafood, tomatoes, and either filé powder (ground sassafras leaves) or okra as a thickener, and is more popular in the coastal regions. Cajun gumbo is generally based on a dark roux and is spicier, more often using game and chicken as the protein, and is more popular in the interior. Both types can contain sausage, bacon, or ham to enrich the the flavour.

Andouille sausage

Andouille sausage is often used in gumbo recipes and is a coarse pork sausage originating in France.  Cajun andouille is a spicier regional recipe from Louisiana and is made of shank meat and fat, seasoned with salt, cracked black pepper, garlic, and cayenne, then smoked over pecan wood and sugar cane.




In the tradition of using leftovers and whats on hand, I used a couple of rabbits, smoked side bacon and a couple of pounds of alligator meat I kept from a recent event, to make this Cajun style gumbo last week.

First I poached the rabbits for an hour in a court bouillon flavoured with carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves, garlic, and thyme. When the rabbits cooled I shredded the meat off the bone and set aside.

I cut 1cm cubes of the side bacon as well as diced onion, celery and bell peppers.This combination of vegetables in known as then as holy trinity of Cajun cuisine and is based on the refogado used in classic Spanish cooking.

The alligator meat came from my seafood supplier, but it can be found in specialty butchers such as Whitehouse Meats at the St Lawerence Market in Toronto.

cooking the roux

Browning the roux is an important part of the gumbo process and how dark you let it get depends on your tastes and who you talk to. A dark slow cooked roux gives gumbo a distinct nutty flavour. Some people like it browned to the edge of burning, but I prefer a dark caramel colour.

When the roux is the proper colour add the bacon and vegetables to stop the cooking process. Continue to cook the vegetables and bacon until translucent.

I added bay leaves, fresh thyme, Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic seasoning, and chicken stock as well as about two pounds of sliced okra to the stew and let it simmer for half an hour. The raw diced alligator and shredded rabbit were added and simmered for another half hour and the Gumbo was done. I garnished the dish with whole beer battered okra, rice and hot sauce. It was a unique and delicious experience.

Skagen Sild - Danish Herring

When I first moved to Copenhagen I didn't know anything. I knew no one there, I didn't know the language, I didn't even know what a kroner was. After slugging it out with the tourists on the grill of the Hard Rock Cafe for a while, I landed my first job in a Danish restaurant called Nyhavn Færgekro in the old harbour district.
Nyhavn Færgekro serves traditional smørrebrød (open faced sandwiches) and a herring buffet at lunch. My first day I spoke to the sous-chef and found out he had given his notice and only had three shifts left. He wasn't very cheerful as he went about showing me some of the dishes they offered. Hønsesalat, fiskefrikadeller, Leverpostej, and a bunch of other things I couldn't pronounce. Three days latter he was gone. Three days after that the head chef walked in, grabbed his stuff and quit. I was on my own. The only kitchen staff besides me was a dish washer and a Swedish smørrebrødsjomfru named Agneta, who only knew how to make the smørrebrød and spoke little English. There was a recipe book I tried to get the Danish waitresses to translate, but most of the recipes were in Swedish! It was a struggle.

Photo by Mia Hargreave

Eventually I found my footing, new cooks were hired, and things got better. Every morning I made the pates, sauces, and prepared the herring buffet.
I ate a lot of herring and my favourite type was called "Skagen Sild" a mixture of marinated herring, apples, shallots, sour cream, and dill. Skagen is a romantically stark area of Jutland, famous for it small fishing villages, and mossy thatched roof cottages.

 Danish herring is marinated in a sweet, peppery vinegar cure and comes in many varieties. Marinerade sild is the most popular to use as a base in recipes such as Skagen sild and is similar to the type of pickled herring you find in supermarkets in North America 
 Sild is always served with rugbrød, a dark, molasses enriched rye bread. The bread is very low in fat and sugar and pairs perfectly with the sweet and oily pickled herring.


I'm lucky enough to live in the Polish area of Toronto, and many of the delis have several types of herring, and a small selection of breads that are similar to rugbrød.
 Strubs pickled herring, and Dimpflmeier's flaxseed rye can be bought at supermarkets, and make a good substitute, but it's worth seeing if there's a Danish bakery in your area. I know Hansen's Danish Pastry Shop on Pape ave in Toronto carries Gylngøre Herring. Once you source the products the recipe is easy.

Recipe for Skagen Sild

6  pickled herring fillets, rinsed and cut into 1 cm pieces

3  tbsp sour cream

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 shallot, finely diced  

half an apple, diced

1 tsp cracked pepper

1 tbsp chopped dill

combine and chill, serve with buttered rye bread and finely chopped chives

I worked at Nyhavn Færgekro for about two months and things were going well until February 27, 2001. I had a wine tasting menu for 50 people that night. We had four courses we were preparing, and when the event coordinators arrived, we were instructed to plate the salad course and have it on the tables waiting, as the bus of Swedish guests was only a few minutes away. Agneta and I continued to finish the next cold course and I waited for waiters to pickup. 40 minutes went by without anyone coming back to the kitchen (which was down a long hallway from the dining room). I walked out towards the front of the restaurant and met a waitress crying. I asked what was going on, and she shouted "The dinner is cancelled! The dinner is cancelled!" and ran away. I follow her into the dining room and found the police, manager and event coordinators talking with worried looks on their faces. I still couldn't understand Danish but eventually discovered what happened. The bus driver didn't realise the Knippelsbro bridge near our restaurant had a low clearance, and drove under it ripping off the top of the bus like a tin can.  30 guests were severely injured and eventually 5 died. It was a terrible night.

Two weeks latter I was transferred to Bøf and Ost, another restaurant run by the same owners.

My Nyhavn Færgekro experiences will stay with me always