Duck, Shrimp, and Andouille Gumbo

With ingredients ranging from a mixture of meats and sausage to an assortment of shellfish and vegetables, no two gumbos are alike. Most varieties, however, include okra and filé powder (ground, dried sassafras leaves). Much like the addition of roux, a gumbo standard, okra and filé powder contribute to the flavor and thicken the base.

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the butter and flour to form a roux, and cook over medium heat until dark brown, stirring frequently, about 8-10 minutes.

While the roux is cooking, sauté the onions, celery and bell pepper in the vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the aroma of the garlic is noticeable. Add the tomato paste and cook to a rich red-brown color, stirring constantly, about 3-4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow the wine to reduce by half.

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Whisk the roux into the hot broth, making sure there are no lumps. Add the vegetable mixture and stir well. Add the tomato puree, ham hock and the okra and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

While the gumbo is simmering, cook the andouille in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the andouille from the pan and reserve the fat. Season the duck breasts with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and sauté in the andouille fat over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly. Once cool enough to handle cut into medium dice.

Season the shrimp with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Dry sear the shrimp in a separate pan over high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp, andouille and duck to the gumbo along with the tomatoes. Continue to simmer until all the ingredients are heated through. Season with the remaining salt and pepper, and add hot sauce to taste.

Nutrition information per serving:
290 calories, 22g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 15g fat, 1280mg sodium, 120 mg cholesterol, 2g dietary fiber.

This recipe is from The Culinary Institute of America's Cooking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, which is available for purchase at bookstores nationwide.

Ingredients

Makes 8 1-cup servings
two tablespoons butter
one-half cup all-purpose flour
two tablespoons vegetable oil
one and one-half onions, diced
three celery stalks, diced
one green bell pepper, diced
four garlic cloves, minced
two tablespoons tomato paste
one-quarter cup white wine
one quart chicken broth
one cup tomato puree
one ham hock
three-quarters cup okra, trimmed, cut into ¼-inch slices
one-half pound andouille sausage, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
two duck breasts (preferably smoked), skinless
two teaspoons salt, or to taste
one teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
one-half pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
three plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
one-half teaspoon hot sauce

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