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Season 4 · Collard Greens Episode
Gumbo Z'Herbes
The legendary New Orleans Lenten gumbo — seven greens, smoked ham hocks, and a rich pot liquor simmered low and slow with filé powder.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lbs ham hocks, slits cut into them
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves + 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 5 assorted bunches of greens (spinach, collards, mustard, turnip, watercress…)
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- ½ small green cabbage, chopped
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 quarts water
- Filé powder (powdered sassafras), to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Cooked white rice, for serving
Method
- Heat oil in a large stockpot. Add ham hock and onions; cook 10 minutes until onions soften and slits in the hock begin to open.
- Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cayenne; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add all chopped greens, parsley, green onions, and cabbage. Cook 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted.
- Add broth and water; raise heat to high. Bring to a boil, skim the surface, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook 2½ hours until greens are very tender and hock meat pulls easily from the bone. Remove hocks; shred meat and return to the pot. Discard bones.
- Season with salt and pepper. Stir in filé powder to taste just before serving — do not allow to boil after adding filé. Serve in large bowls over white rice.
Chef's NoteFilé powder should always be added off the heat or at the table — boiling after adding filé makes the gumbo stringy. Recipe courtesy Chef Emeril Lagasse, all rights reserved.