Rad Gumbo

submitted by and thanks to Rob Dennett

Softwa

4 duck leg and thighs separated
Cajun seasoning (the kind I buy doesn't have any salt,
so I add salt separately)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rendered duck fat, bacon fat or oil
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
8 cups of chicken stock or water
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound diced chicken breast
1 lb. smoked sausage such as Andouille, cut into
1/4-inch rings
1 bunch of green onion, chopped

Hardwa

A chef's knife to chop veggies
A cutting board to chop them on
A big pot, preferably non reactive
A wooden spoon

Season the duck parts with plenty of Cajun or Creole seasoning. Heat
the pot over medium heat and add a little oil. When the oil is hot,
brown the duck parts on all sides. Remove them to a plate and set
aside. Next, reduce the heat to medium low and add the duck fat to the
pot. Add in the flour and stir it constantly with a wooden spoon for
at least 20 minutes until the roux (fat and flour) is at least as dark
as a copper penny. If you burn this, clean the pot and start over.
(Stirring for twenty minutes is not as hard as you might think so
don't let this put you off the recipe.) When the roux is cooked to the
desired color, add the onion, celery and bell pepper and stir and cook
for about five minutes or until the onions are clear. Add the crushed
garlic and cook for another minute. Add the stock, bay leaves and
browned duck parts and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and
simmer for one hour. Taste and season with salt and fresh ground
pepper. Add the chicken, the sausage and half the green onion

Serve over cooked white rice making sure everyone gets a piece of duck
and top with some fresh green onions. You can have your guests add
file powder (ground sassafras root) at the table if they want, but I
never do. You can also add chopped fresh okra (gumbo is the Bantu word
for okra after all) as well as shrimp, oysters, fish, crab and
anything else that floats your boat. It is important to have some good
baguettes on hand to sop up anything that your spoon can't get.