Serves 6
6 Duck Legs Confit
2 Teaspoons Emeril’s Essence
½ Cup Duck Fat
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Spanish or Vidalia Onions, Medium Dice
1 Cup Celery, Medium Dice
1 Cup Carrots, Medium Dice
1½ Cups Red Bell Pepper, Medium Dice
6 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced
2 Cups Yukon Gold Potatoes, Skin Left On, Medium Dice
7-8 Cups Homemade Ham Stock or Rich Dark Homemade Chicken Stock, Heated (OR Canned Low Sodium Chicken Stock)
12 Ounces Smoked Andouille Sausage, Skin Removed, Sliced Into ¼” Discs (or Smoked Kielbasa)
12 Ounces Tasso Ham or Smoked Ham, Cut into ½” Cubes
2 Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
Rice Pilaf As An Accompaniment
In Dutch Oven heat the duck fat and add the flour. Stir the flour with a whisk at first to incorporate the flour into the fat. Change to a large wooden spoon and continue stirring the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux, constantly stirring for 15 minutes or until the flour turns a deep golden brown. The darker the roux the darker the gumbo. Be careful not to burn the roux.
Add the onions, celery, carrots, red pepper, garlic, potatoes and sauté for about five minutes. Add the hot stock and stir to combine. Add the sausage, Tasso/ham, the two remaining teaspoons Emeril’s Essence, salt, thyme and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook the gumbo for 45 minutes covered, keeping the cover slightly off kilter, stirring often to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Remove the bones and skin from the duck legs and shred the duck meat. Add the duck meat to the gumbo and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately with the Rice Pilaf.
Place heaping ½ cups of cooked rice in the middle of individual warm soup bowls and ladle a good portion of the gumbo around the rice. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Hints and Tips: If you don’t have the time to make the confit, which is best if made days or weeks in advance, use the meat from a Whole Roasted Duck.
