Bring Louisiana to your table with this Cajun Duck and Sausage Etouffee - one of our favorite Mardi Gras recipes!
It's Mardi Gras season, and that means zydeco music and plenty of Cajun food in our house. I can’t claim any Cajun heritage, but I’ve loved cooking from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen since age 16. My sister gave me a copy of the cookbook for my birthday, sparking my interest in Cajun cuisine. Ten years later, I was glued to my TV, watching Emeril Lagasse whip up Louisiana dishes with flair. His live band added energy, and I loved when he yelled "BAM!" while seasoning meat or fish.
Benda family dinner staples include duck gumbo, pheasant gumbo, and this duck and sausage etouffee recipe. Etouffee, from the French word for "smothered," is a thick stew packed with flavor. It features the holy trinity of onions, celery, and green bell pepper, along with a rich roux. This creates a hearty, satisfying meal that brings Louisiana flavors to your table without needing to travel.
Etouffee vs Gumbo - What's the Difference?
Consistency: The biggest difference between etouffee and gumbo is in the consistency of the stew. Both rice dishes use a broth base, like the chicken broth in this Cajun Duck Etouffee recipe. Etouffee has a thicker consistency, similar to gravy you'd slather over mashed potatoes. Both dishes start with a roux made from all-purpose flour and butter or oil. However, we use about half the broth amount compared to what I use when making gumbo. Because of this, gumbo is thinner and more of a soup.
Flavor: Etouffee and gumbo have similar flavors because both use Cajun seasonings like cayenne, paprika, bay leaves, or Tony's Creole Seasoning. Both dishes also rely on the Holy Trinity of onion, green bell pepper, and celery for flavor. Etouffee, however, uses a blonde roux that you can prepare in as little as 10 minutes. This gives it a lighter, slightly sweet flavor compared to gumbo's deeper, richer taste. Gumbo starts with a darker roux, achieved by stirring for 20 to 30 minutes.The roux turns from a blonde color to the color of a copper penny.
What is Roux?
Making a roux is a classic French technique that is a building block for all kinds of recipes. A roux refers to a mixture of equal parts flour and fat (butter or oil) that is cooked and stirred into a smooth paste. After being cooked to the desired color (blonde or dark), the roux serves as the base for many soups and sauces to help thicken them and add flavor.
Homemade Andouille Sausage
This Cajun Duck and Sausage Etouffee Recipe is the perfect addition to your list of favorite Mardi Gras recipes, combining the smoky, spicy flavors of my Homemade Andouille Sausage with some of those duck breasts you have in your freezer.
How to Make Cajun Duck and Sausage Etouffee
1. Arrange duck so cavity faces you. Draw tip of a sharp knife along side of the breastbone, making sure knife stays against bone, to separate meat from breastbone. Rotate duck 90 degrees.
2. Starting at pointy (cavity) end of breast, draw knife along rib cage, lifting meat as you separate it from ribs. Repeat on other side.
3. Score the duck breast skin (but not the meat) in a cross pattern. This helps the fat render and will give you a crispier skin. Place both skin-on breasts on a plate and set in refrigerator until ready to use.
4. Take the remaining duck carcass and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven on a stovetop burner over medium-high heat. Add duck carcass (without the breasts) and fry for about 5 minutes until browned on all sides.
6. Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire, and Tony's seasoning to the Dutch oven. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 2 hours until duck is tender.
7. Using tongs, carefully remove the duck pieces from the pot and let cool, then remove the meat from the bones, discarding the bones. Pour the broth and meat mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
8. Using the same Dutch oven, warm ¼ cup vegetable oil over medium heat until hot. Add butter and whisk in flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and cook, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes until the roux becomes smooth and fragrant but doesn't take on much color.
9. Carefully add the onion, bell pepper, celery, minced garlic, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
10. Add andouille sausage and reserved meat and broth mixture back into the Dutch oven, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, take the duck breasts out of the refrigerator and pat them dry with paper towels. Season them with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
12. In a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil lay the duck breasts skin side down then turn the heat to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes. Then flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes until an instant read meat thermometer shows it at 130 degrees F. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let it rest, skin side up.
13. To the etouffee mixture in the Dutch oven, stir in gumbo file and hot sauce.
14. At this point you want to taste it and add more seasonings to your liking. Maybe a dash more salt or Tony's.
15. Serve warm over rice with a few pieces of the crispy duck breast on top. Garnish with fresh parsley or chopped green onions.
More Duck Recipes
If you are looking for more great ways to use some of that duck in your freezer, be sure and check out some of our favorite duck recipes:
- Duck Soup
- Duck Pizza
- Stuffed Mushrooms with Duck Hearts
- Duck Gumbo
- Fried Duck Gizzards
- Duck Quesadilla
Come Duck Hunting in North Dakota
If you are headed our way for North Dakota waterfowl season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.
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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE
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The Best Cajun Duck and Sausage Etouffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole mallard or similar size duck or 2 smaller ducks like teal, plucked and cleaned
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (plus 3 tablespoons)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Tony's creole seasoning
- ¼ cup butter (4 tablespoons)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 8 ounces andouille smoked sausage, sliced into ½-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon gumbo file
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Arrange duck so cavity faces you. Draw tip of a sharp knife along side of the breastbone, making sure knife stays against bone, to separate meat from breastbone. Rotate duck 90 degrees.
- Starting at pointy (cavity) end of breast, draw knife along rib cage, lifting meat as you separate it from ribs. Repeat on other side.
- Score the duck breast skin (but not the meat) in a cross pattern. This helps the fat render and will give you a crispier skin. Place both skin-on breasts on a plate and set in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Take the remaining duck carcass and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven on a stovetop burner over medium-high heat. Add duck carcass (without the breasts) and fry for about 5 minutes until browned on all sides.
- Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire, and Tony's seasoning to the Dutch oven. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 2 hours until duck is tender.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the duck pieces from the pot and let cool, then remove the meat from the bones, discarding the bones. Pour the broth and meat mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Carefully add the onion, bell pepper, celery, minced garlic, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add sausage and reserved meat and broth mixture back into the Dutch oven, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, take the duck breasts out of the refrigerator and pat them dry with paper towels. Season them with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
- In a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil lay the duck breasts skin side down then turn the heat to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes. Then flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes until an instant read meat thermometer shows it at 130 degrees F. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let it rest, skin side up.
- To the etouffee mixture in the Dutch oven, stir in gumbo file and hot sauce.
- At this point you want to taste it and add more seasonings to your liking. Maybe a dash more salt or Tony's.
- Serve warm over rice with a few pieces of the crispy duck breast on top. Garnish with fresh parsley or chopped green onions.
Gary from North Dakota says
I've historically always just taken the breast meat off the ducks and never kept the skin on, but plucked a few birds this past year and put them in the freezer. I just pulled them out and tried this recipe and it was awesome! Thank you! I will definitely pluck more birds this fall so I can enjoy the crispy skin with this recipe and try some others you have that look delicious. Keep up the good work.
Jeff Benda says
Gary - Glad you are plucking birds now so you can enjoy a lot more meat off your ducks. Be sure and check out my Duck Gumbo recipe too at: https://wildgameandfish.com/duck-gumbo/
Steve Dibb says
With a freezer full of ducks from three states and Saskatchewan, I am looking forward to making both the duck gumbo and Étouffée this winter. Thanks for the recipes and cooking narrative.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Steve. They are my favorite duck recipes to make during the winter months.