The Best Duck Gumbo
This delicious and easy Duck Gumbo is a big bowl of comfort food that will leave you full and satisfied.I was missing for a good 20 minutes when my wife found me in the basement staring into the open freezer with a sense of bewilderment. I couldn’t decide on what wild game to use for dinner. There are so many choices this time of year – goose, duck, rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, grouse, mule deer, whitetail deer, pronghorn antelope, and elk. I’ve even got a bighorn sheep a client gifted me. I finally opted for the bag of frozen duck breasts labeled “Gadwall Breasts – October 2022”. The temperature here in North Dakota is hovering around -10 degrees F. Too cold to have any fun outside. I decided to use the ducks in my freezer to make a dish to celebrate Fat Tuesday & Mardi Gras. Gumbo is always a great choice during our frigid winters because it’s a stay-inside-and-cook-all-day kind of dish that can warm up my family inside and out. While Louisiana natives have strict ideas about what goes into a proper gumbo, there are endless variations and countless versions. This recipe includes the delicious combination of duck, andouille, and shrimp. It also has what you always expect to see – the holy trinity of onions, celery, and bell pepper. I’m a firm believer in always including gumbo filé powder in every gumbo I make. The end result is this cayenne-kissed dish that allows all of the ingredients to shine without it being too spicy for my 7-year-old daughter.WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUMBO AND ETOUFFEE?If you want to learn the difference between gumbo and etouffee, check out my explanation included in my Duck Etouffee Recipe.WHAT IS GUMBOGumbo is a hearty stew that’s served hot over rice. It can be made with numerous combinations of meat, seafood, and/or vegetables. Gumbo is a symbol of Louisiana cuisine, but its history of origin can depend on who you are asking. As author Toni Tipton-Martin explains in one of my favorite cookbooks Jubilee, “The word gumbo comes from gombo, the word in several West African languages for okra, which may explain why early renditions of the thick, aromatic stew contained okra, along with vegetables, meat, or seafood.” Some historians say that gumbo has its roots in a Native American Choctaw stew. Still others believe that French influence is the reason that gumbo is sometimes considered just a derivation of bouillabaisse, a Provencal fish stew. Nowadays, all gumbo recipes incorporate Creole influence by always starting with a roux to thicken the dish. And if you find a gumbo recipe out there that doesn't start with a roux, then it isn't gumbo!!Every had Duck Etouffee? Check out my recipe here.HOW TO MAKE GUMBO1. Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly for about 20 minutes, until roux becomes smooth and thick and the color of a penny.2. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery and next 4 ingredients. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are tender.3. Add the minced garlic and cook another 2 minutes.4. Add chicken broth, water, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, then simmer 15 minutes.5. Add the andouille and diced tomatoes cook another 10 minutes.6. Add the duck, shrimp, and gumbo filé powder. Return heat to medium-high and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.7. To serve, spoon 1/2 cup cooked white rice in the middle of serving bowl. Spoon 1 cup gumbo over the top, making sure each person gets some duck, andouille, and shrimp. MORE DUCK RECIPES AND GOOSE RECIPESIf you are looking for more great duck recipes, check out my recipes for:Duck Heart Stuffed MushroomsChopped Goose LiverFried Gizzards. Duck EtouffeeOr see all my Goose and Duck Recipes here.COME HUNT NORTH DAKOTAIf you would like to come hunt ducks here in North Dakota, check out the North Dakota Game and Fish Department webpage on duck hunting. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make this Duck Gumbo, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Duck Gumbo recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large yellow onions, diced
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 32-ounce container chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound andouille smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1/2 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons gumbo filé powder
- 1/2 pound duck breasts, cooked to internal temperature of 125 degrees F, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Hot cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients.
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly for 20 to 30 minutes, until roux becomes smooth and thick and the color of a penny.
- Stir in the onion, bell pepper, celery, and next 4 ingredients. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are tender.
- Add the minced garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, water, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, then simmer 15 minutes.
- Add the andouille and diced tomatoes with juice and cook another 10 minutes.
- Add the duck and shrimp and gumbo filé powder. Return heat to medium-high and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.
- To serve, spoon 1/2 cup cooked white rice in the middle of serving bowl. Spoon 1 cup gumbo over the top, making sure each person gets some duck, andouille, and shrimp.
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