Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

I made extra duck breasts when I made dinner for Christmas Day just to have this hearty gumbo on the day after Christmas. A one pot meal after days and days of cooking for the holidays gave me a chance to rest and to serve a casual, but very tasty meal after the big formal meal on Christmas Day.

There are probably as many different variations on gumbo as there are stars in the sky. Gumbo is basically a hodgepodge of food cooked in a pot, but nearly all are based on the Cajun "holy trinity" which consists of bell pepper, onion and celery. Other ingredients important to a gumbo are garlic, cayenne and green onions, plus other spices such as thyme and bay leaves. A good roux, made of drippings and flour, is cooked slowly in the pot until a nutty brown color is achieved. Some recipes call for a blond roux, but the darker roux flavors the gumbo and the blond roux simply thicken it.

I pan-fried the duck breasts and served a sauce on the side for Christmas dinner so I could use the breasts for the gumbo, but you can smoke your duck breasts which I have done in the past when making this gumbo.

Ingredients For Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

4 Cooked whole duck breasts, diced large
1/2 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup chopped ham chunks
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons creole seasoning (homemade or purchased)-my recipe included here
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Worcheshire sauce
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth

Warm the oil in a Dutch oven and add the flour. Over medium heat, cook and stir the roux until a nutty brown, about 12-14 minutes. Do not let burn. Add sausage, duck,ham, onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, creole seasoning, bay leaves, Worcheshire and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, simmer 30-45 minutes. Adjust seasonings.















Creole Seasoning
recipe here

My Creole Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablesspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
1/2 tablespoon ground chipotle powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

To serve: hot cooked rice, chopped green onions, creole seasoning and Tabasco