Chef John’s Duck, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

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Description

This can be made with hundreds of different combinations of smoked meats, game, poultry, and seafood, and in my opinion, the more the merrier. The procedure is pretty straightforward, although you’re talking about a full day’s project. Serve in a large soup plate with a scoop of cooked white rice, a sprinkle of green onion, and a pinch of cayenne.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or more as needed
  • 2 duck legs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 pound andouille sausage, thickly sliced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup diced peppers
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 4 green onions, chopped (Optional)
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 2 cups water, or as needed
  • 1 cup pickled okra, rinsed and sliced
  • 1 pound gulf shrimp
  • 1 pound crawfish tail meat
  • 1 tablespoon chopped green onion (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook duck legs in the hot oil
  2. skin-side down
  3. until duck legs are browned and skillet contains rendered duck fat
  4. about 10 minutes on the skin side. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes on the meat side. Remove duck legs from skillet
  5. leaving rendered duck fat in the skillet.
  6. Whisk 1 cup flour into the duck fat
  7. adding enough vegetable oil to make the flour mixture a thick and smooth roux. Turn heat to medium-low and cook the roux
  8. stirring constantly
  9. until it turns a rich reddish-brown color
  10. about 40 minutes. Whisk 2 more tablespoons flour into roux and cook for 2 minutes.
  11. Whisk chicken broth into roux
  12. 1 cup at a time
  13. until all broth has been incorporated. Remove roux mixture from heat.
  14. Brown andouille sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat
  15. about 8 minutes; stir in onion
  16. peppers
  17. celery
  18. and 4 green onions
  19. cooking until onion is translucent
  20. about 10 minutes. Stir thyme
  21. bay leaf
  22. black pepper
  23. and cayenne pepper into sausage mixture
  24. followed by diced tomatoes. Stir to combine.
  25. Place smoked ham hock into the center of the sausage and vegetables. Pour roux mixture over ham hock along with enough water to cover. Place duck legs into mixture. Bring to a simmer
  26. turn heat to low
  27. and cover with a lid set at an angle to let steam out. Simmer slowly
  28. stirring occasionally until duck and ham hock meat are tender
  29. about 4 hours. Skim as much fat as possible off the top as it simmers.
  30. Remove duck and ham hock to a bowl and let cool. Stir pickled okra into gumbo. Pick meat from duck legs and pork hock and return meat to the gumbo. Simmer gumbo for 45 more minutes.
  31. Turn heat to medium-high
  32. bring gumbo to a boil
  33. and stir in shrimp and crawfish tails. Cook until shrimp and crawfish tails are bright pink
  34. about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon green onion
  35. taste and adjust seasoning
  36. and serve.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 5 hrs 55 mins

Total Time: 6 hrs 25 mins

Servings: 8

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