Mosquito Supper Club by Melissa M. Martin

Author:Melissa M. Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Artisan
Published: 2020-03-16T20:32:33+00:00

Duck Gumbo

If I’m celebrating a special occasion, I pick up a duck to make this gumbo. Be sure to start with a sustainably raised duck. They’re not easy animals to raise, so finding a good source can be tricky. Wild ducks are sustainable, of course. Their diet makes their meat taste clean and earthy, as if they’ve already been seasoned and need just a little salt. During the holidays, my father always has wild ducks for me to cook, but organic free-range ducks are available at butchers and online. The farm-raised variety is meaty and makes for a delicious gumbo.

Serves 6 to 8

1 (5-pound/2.3 kg) whole duck, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed and reserved

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons hot sauce, preferably Original Louisiana Hot Sauce, plus more as needed

Canola oil, if needed

1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour

3½ pounds (1.6 kg) yellow onions, finely diced

½ cup (55 g) finely diced celery

¼ cup (35 g) finely diced green bell pepper

6 garlic cloves, chopped

3 bay leaves (see Note)

16½ cups (4 L) duck stock or chicken stock, warmed

Cooked rice, for serving

¼ cup (13 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

¼ cup (20 g) finely chopped green onions, for garnish

Pickles (see Pickled Okra–Pickled Beets), for serving

Potato Salad, for serving

Put the duck in a large bowl and season with the salt, black pepper, cayenne, and hot sauce. Set aside to marinate at room temperature.

Put the duck skin in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until all the fat is rendered. Don’t let the fat burn; if it looks like it’s getting too hot, reduce the heat to low. Strain the fat through a sieve into a liquid measuring cup and discard the solids. You should have 1 cup (240 ml) fat; if you don’t have enough rendered fat, go ahead and add some oil.

Return the fat to the pot and set it over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the roux is the color of milk chocolate, about 45 minutes.

Add the onions and stir well. (Be careful to avoid splattering the roux when adding the onions—this is when folks sometimes burn themselves.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Add the celery, bell pepper, garlic, and bay leaves, stir well, and reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cover and let the vegetables smother until very soft, without any bite remaining, about 20 minutes.

Push the vegetables to the side of the pot and place the duck pieces in the pot. Raise the heat to medium and brown the duck for about 8 minutes per side. Be careful not to bring the heat up too high and burn the vegetables.

Add 1 cup (240 ml) of the stock to deglaze the bottom and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and smother until the duck starts releasing liquid, about 20 minutes.

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