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Duck and Sausage Gumbo
Lake Austin Spa Resort

The word “gumbo” derives from “gombo”, the Bantu word for okra, the seeds of which these African natives brought with them when they were imported as slaves, first for the Caribbean sugar plantations, then later for the mainland cotton plantations in the South. This African culinary influence is still strong today, and although gumbo is most often associated with seafood, any stew-like concoction containing okra can be, technically so called, giving rise to such tasty and traditional variations such as this duck and sausage beauty.

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, duck breast, cubed
  • 2 pounds venison sausage, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cups onion, diced
  • 4 cups green bell peppers, diced
  • 4 cups celery, diced
  • 4 cups okra, sliced (fresh or frozen, thawed)
  • 4 cups collard greens, stemmed and chopped
  • 4 cups diced tomatoes, in juice (canned is fine)
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup blackening seasonings
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 cup browned roux flour*, mixed with some stock to form a pourable paste
  • 10 cups chicken stock
  • 8 cups cooked white rice
  1. Season the duck with salt and pepper, then brown, along with sausage, in a little oil. Remove and set aside.
  2. Sauté the next five ingredients in remaining oil in the same pot, until softened.
  3. Add tomato, parsley, blacking, bay leaves, and roux paste. Combine, cover and cook one minute.
  4. Whisk in the stock. Simmer for 45 minutes.
  5. Add the duck and the sausage. Simmer for 45 minutes.
  6. Serve in soup bowl with a molded mound of rice in the center.

Serves 16

* To make a brown roux flour, spread the flour onto a baking sheet (the recipe calls for 1 cup but you may want to make extra as it keeps). Bake at 325°F for 2 hours, turning the mixture over every 15-20 minutes with a spatula, until the flour is an even, milk chocolate color. Cool, sift, and use or store in a tightly closed container.