Jay’s Dominican Tomato & Shellfish Gumbo

Yordanys “Jay” Bastardo likes to describe the many ways that his grandmother used tomato-based salsa criolla in her Caribbean kitchen in the Dominican Republic. In this recipe, he uses it as the base for an impressive shellfish stew that he calls gumbo. It’s different from Louisiana gumbo, but it’s a great recipe that will delight those of us who love great fresh tomatoes and fresh seafood. As Jay explains, the shells that many cooks overlook or discard are full of flavor so add them to the pot. This is gumbo that you eat with a spoon, and your hands. 

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 recipe salsa criolla (recipe follows)
• 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice (refrigerated leftover rice is ideal)
• 4 pickled garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons brine (recipe follows)
• 3 pounds mixed shellfish, such as:
  • steamed lobster in its shell, cut into serving pieces
  • fresh clams in their shells
  • fresh mussels in their shells
  • fresh (21/25) shrimp, shelled with tails intact and deveined

Directions

Bring the salsa criolla to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

Stir in the rice and return to a simmer. 

Stir in the shellfish, and let simmer until the clams, mussels and/or shrimp are thoroughly cooked and the rice begins to break apart and thicken the gumbo, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Just before serving, stir in the pickled garlic and brine. Serve warm.

Salsa Criolla

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon adobo all-purpose spice blend (such as Goya)
• 1 teaspoon sazón completa (complete seasoning) spice blend (such as Badia)
• 1 teaspoon ground achiote (also known as ground annatto seeds or bixa)
• 2 pounds fresh red tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped
• 6 celery stalks with leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bunch cilantro, both leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup water, plus more as needed

Directions

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, stir in the adobo, sazón completa and achiote, and cook for 30 seconds while stirring. 

Add the tomatoes, cut sides down, to the pot and let cook undisturbed until they caramelize on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir well to loosen the tomatoes from the pot. 

Stir in the white onion, red onion, red and green bell peppers, celery, cilantro and water. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are completely tender and nearly dissolved, about 4 hours. Add water as needed to maintain a simmer without the mixture scorching or cooking dry. Stir occasionally at first, but more often as the mixture thickens and reduces. When done, the sauce will be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. 

At this point, either proceed with the gumbo recipe, or let the sauce cool uncovered, and then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days before proceeding.

Pickled Garlic

Ingredients

• 2 whole garlic bulbs, separated into cloves and peeled
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Place the garlic cloves in a pint jar with a tight-fitting lid. 

Bring the vinegar, lime juice, water, sugar, oil, salt and oregano to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slowly pour into the jar until the liquid covers the garlic by at least a 1/2 inch. Let stand for a minute to let any air bubbles escape, and then top off the liquid if needed. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 days before using. Store covered and refrigerated for up to one month.

Yordanys “Jay” Bastardo is Chef and owner of the Dominican-style restaurant Villa Verde in Greenville, NC. Villa Verde, which translates to “green village,” is also Bastardo's hometown in the Dominican Republic.  

Yordanys tells the story of coming to America with just $5 in his pocket and big dreams of seeking opportunity and breaking the cycle of poverty. After working as a plant manager, Yordanys decided to follow his dream of opening a food truck. Along with the food truck, he and his wife, Eridania, now own and operate two additional Villa Verde restaurant locations in Greenville.  

Bastardo sees Villa Verde and cooking food as a "platform for good," offering him the chance to serve the community and create social change through conversations that create understanding. He says, “the more we understand each other, the more progress we make as a community."

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.