Turkey Turns Into Cajun Feast

Garet Jenkins is looking forward to retirement in a couple of years so that he won’t have to travel to exotic places.

As a senior pilot for United Airlines, Jenkins, 57, regularly flies 747s to Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. And, before joining United 33 years ago, he spent 4 years as a Navy carrier pilot, so the prospect of getting up in the morning and not putting on a uniform, not packing a bag and not going anywhere in particular is blissful.

A Gene Hackman look-alike, Jenkins recently turned down a fairly lucrative offer to do a TV commercial because it came with an expense-paid trip to Mexico City, where the shooting was to take place.

He says about the only journey he really enjoys these days is occasionally getting back to his roots in southwest Louisiana--Cajun country, where he grew up, where he learned to cook and whe1919230056store and pick up some fresh gumbo filet (ground sassafras) and roux.

“I love Cajun food,” he says. “Not the stuff the fancy restaurants call Cajun, but real Cajun--simple food simply prepared--fresh fish with tomatoes and a little spice and lots of fresh vegetables. . . . Stuff like that. I guarantee you Cajuns have never even heard of the dishes they call Cajun in some of the restaurants I’ve been in here.”

Jenkins shuns most restaurants anyway, especially when he’s overseas, and he particularly stays away from airline fare when he’s flying. “Airlines use food as a way to entertain otherwise-bored passengers,” he says, “so in first class it’s pretty fancy stuff--lobster Thermidor for example--and that’s what they also feed the crews.

“That’s why you see so many potbellied pilots. Those are long, boring flights for us too, and it’s awfully hard to resist when the flight attendants come in with trays full of goodies.”

Jenkins’ answer is to pack a lunch for the flights (usually bran muffins he bakes himself), step up his exercise program on layovers in the Orient and eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“It’s difficult to get light meals even in Japan anymore,” he says. “They’ve all become Americanized, so you find the menus full of the very things we should be avoiding: high-fat, high-protein dishes.”

Jenkins’ interest in cooking began during his childhood on a farm. “My mother was a great cook,” he says, “and so was my dad, who just by doing it showed me early that there was nothing sissified about a man cooking. “I was a bachelor a long time, and I missed544499813home, so I started doing it myself. Frankly, I like my cooking, so I’ve just kept on doing it.”

His wife, Wendy, also likes his cooking and makes it a point to stand aside if he’s in the kitchen of their San Juan Capistrano home. “We pretty much share cooking duties,” she says, “but there have been times when he’s done all the cooking, such as when I was substitute teaching; I’d come home and find a great meal all ready to eat.”

Their Thanksgiving meal is a joint effort, but the day after is reserved for Jenkins. That’s when he swoops back into his bayou past for a family favorite--Cajun turkey gumbo.

GARET JENKINS’ DOWN-HOME CAJUN TURKEY GUMBO

Ingredients

Thanksgiving turkey carcass

6 quarts water

1/4 pound Louisiana hot sausage (Andouille, if available)

1 package frozen chopped okra

1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 large brown onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tablespoons gumbo filet

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup roux

1 tablespoon powdered chicken bullion

1 pint fresh oysters

Preparation

Place turkey carcass in water and bring to boil. Simmer, covered, for 4 hours. Let cool and remove bones, skin and congealed fat. You should have about 4 quarts of stock remaining. Mix in all ingredients except oysters, bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes. Remove from heat, add oysters and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving over steamed rice. Note: If commercial roux is not available, make your own by stir-browning 1/2 cup flour in 1 tablespoon oil.