CAJUN TEAL & ANDOUILLE GUMBO

Prep Time: 30 minutes 
Cook Time: 2½–3 hours 
Total Time: About 3½ hours 
Serves: 6–8 

Wild duck and smoked andouille are a natural combination in a dark Cajun gumbo. The teal is browned first, then slowly simmered until tender in a deeply flavored roux-based broth. Serve it over Louisiana rice with plenty of green onions. 

Ingredients 

• 4 blue-winged teal, cleaned and quartered  
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced  
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil  
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour  
• 2 cups diced yellow onion  
• 1 cup diced celery  
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced  
• 8 cups chicken or duck stock  
• 2 bay leaves  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme  
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce  
• 1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning, plus more as needed  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, optional  
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions  
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley  
• Hot cooked long-grain white rice  
• Filé powder, optional  

Instructions 

1. Season and brown the teal.
   Pat the teal pieces dry and season with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Brown them well in a heavy Dutch oven with a small amount of oil. Remove and set aside.
2. Brown the andouille.
   Add the sliced andouille to the same pot and cook until it developsgood color around the edges. Remove it and reserve with the teal. 
3. Make the roux.
   Add enough oil to the drippings to equalroughly 3/4 cup. Stir in the flour. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the roux reaches a deep chocolate brown. 

Don’t walk away from it. A Cajun roux can go from “that’s looking good” to “open the windows” mighty quick. 

4. Add the vegetables.
   Immediately stir the onion, celery, and bell pepper into the roux. Cook for about 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic andcook another minute. 
5. Build the gumbo.
   Gradually stir in the warm stock. Add bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and cayenne.
6. Add the teal.
   Return the browned teal to the pot. Bring everything to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer, cover loosely, and cook for about1½ hours. 
7. Add the andouille.
   Return the sausage to the gumbo and continuesimmering another 45–60 minutes, or until the teal is tender. 
8. Finish the gumbo.
   Remove the bay leaves. Stir in green onions and parsley during the final few minutes. Taste before addingadditional salt—the andouille and Cajun seasoning may already provide plenty. 
9. Serve.
   Put a scoop of hot white rice in each bowl and ladle the gumbo around it. Add filéat the table if desired. 

Cook’s Notes 

Blue-winged teal are excellent for this because they’re small, flavorful ducks that become beautifully tender with slow cooking. Gadwall, wigeon, pintail, or mallard can be prepared the same way; larger ducks simply require more cooking time. 

If the teal were shot over marsh, take your time cleaning them and remove any bloodshot meat before cooking. 

And don’t skimp on the andouille. A good heavily smoked Louisiana andouille contributes almost as much to the gumbo as the duck itself.