Smoked Duck Gumbo with Crispy Duck Skin Chicharrones

I used a domestic duck for this cook but wild ducks would be great!  One of the main reasons I love smoked duck is the gumbo I make the next day with the leftovers.

I went simple with the duck, slathered in butter and sprinkled with coarse salt and cracked black pepper..

Smoked in my drum smoker til the juices ran clear.

enjoyed a few slices for supper that night....

The next day I removed the smoked duck skin, separated the meat from the bones,
saved the drippings/duck fat from the pan...

made stock with the carcass and trimmings...

gathered the gumbo ingredients...
onions, scallions, garlic, celery, bell pepper, parsley..

I went with Conecuh spicy smoked sausage this time...

I like to brown off the sausage first, I just like the flavor that the caramelized sausage adds to the pot..

I start my roux using the smoked duck fat and flour...

cooked the roux to a fairly dark color...

added the veggies, cooked til just about tender....

strained my smoked duck stock...

stirred the stock into the pot, just enough to get the thickness I wanted. Then added the smoked sausage (with pan drippings) and the smoked duck meat..

I added a few slices of okra from the garden. This was a last minute decision. I didn't want them to go to waste. 

I check for salt, add cayenne for a bite, then let the pot simmer for a couple of hours...

while the gumbo simmered, I fried the smoked duck skins til crisp...

These things are addicting! 

The smoked duck and Conecuh sausage gumbo, topped with duck skin chicharrones...

I love this stuff. I pretty much love all gumbos but the smoked flavor of the duck and the crisp fried duck skin sends this one over the top for me.

Deer season started yesterday. I'm not in any hurry to bring one in, I have two weeks. The weather has been really nice. It looks like the moon won't interfere with the deer movement this year. Sometimes it's so bright, they move at night instead of early morning or in the evening.
Whether I get one or not, it's a bonus just being out there enjoying the quiet. :)

Hope everyone has a safe season and a great week. Thanks for the kind comments via email too, I appreciate it. :)


Thanks for stopping by!