1904 - Cooking in Old Creole Days

Herb Gumbo

DDV CULINARY

Clean and prepare a good handful of fresh spinach leaves,
a handful of beetroot leaves,
a handful of radish leaves,
a handful of mustard leaves,
a handful of patience leaves,
one head of lettuce.
Throw them in hot water and let them boil like spinach,
then let them drip in a colander,
chop them all together on a nice clean board, as you do spinach.
Fry a dozen small pieces of ham cut in pieces an inch long and half an inch wide,
and also half a chicken cut in pieces, or a piece of veal, say half a pound.
Add a cup of water and let it simmer three quarters of an hour or until all are soft.
Then add your herbs.
Let them simmer together for a quarter of an hour.
If it looks too thick add a few tablespoonfuls of water.
It must have the consistency of a thick puree.
To be served hot, and eaten with dry rice.

--JOSEPHINE NICAUD.