Chef Brannon Soileau teaches culinary skill development at the college’s new campus in Singapore. Today he will teach us how to make Cajun Brown Roux. Roux is made by cooking flour in fat. You can use butter, oil, or drippings from meat or chicken. Heat the fat over medium heat and then stir in the flour until smooth and moist, with a glossy sheen. The roux is the heart of this Duck, Shrimp, and Andouille Gumbo.
Duck, Shrimp, and Andouille Gumbo
Makes 8 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 onions, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup tomato puree
1 ham hock
3/4 cup okra, trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 duck breasts (preferably smoked), skinless
2 teaspoons salt, or as necessary
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or as necessary
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
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 to 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 to 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 to 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 okra and simmer for 15 to 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 to 5 minutes. Remove the andouille from the pan and reserve the fat. Season the duck breasts with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 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 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dry-sear the shrimp in a separate pan over high heat until cooked through, about 2 to 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 as necessary.
Nutrition Analysis per serving: 290 calories, 22g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 15g fat, 1280mg sodium, 120mg cholesterol, 2g dietary fiber.