Although I was not born in New Orleans—we moved here when I was six—I most definitely consider it my hometown. Even post-hurricanes, I am eternally grateful to my dad for deciding to make this simmering, sumptuous, gumbo-of-a-city our permanent home when he retired from the navy. What a happy circumstance for a food lover like me! Speaking of gumbo, I could eat it every day of the week. And you can’t claim to be a cook in Louisiana without having your own version of its most famous dish. While I have to say that Donald Link, the chef at Herbsaint, makes the best gumbo I have ever eaten, I’ve learned to make a pretty mean version myself. Here is one of the most basic. Feel free to substitute an equal amount of roasted chicken for the duck.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　4 duck legs, or 1 whole duck

　　Salt and pepper

　　1/2 cup vegetable oil or rendered duck fat, plus extra for cooking okra

　　1/2 cup flour

　　2 medium onions, chopped

　　2 bell peppers, chopped

　　3 celery stalks, chopped

　　1/2 pound andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced

　　4-5 garlic cloves, minced

　　6 cups rich Chicken Stock (p. 206)

　　2 cups sliced okra, fresh or frozen

　　1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped scallions

　　1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

　　1 teaspoon filé powder, optional

　　1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

　　Bouquet Garni (p. 145)

　　Hot sauce

　　Cooked white rice, optional

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the duck in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Roast the legs for about 1 hour (the whole duck for about 2 hours), until tender. If desired, save the rendered fat to make the roux. Let the duck cool and pick the meat off the bones.

　　

Step 2

Heat the 1/2 cup oil (or duck fat) in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or cast-iron pot over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the roux turns a deep brown resembling the color of peanut butter (or even a little darker, for a richer flavor), 10-12 minutes. Add the onions, peppers, and celery, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook 3 more minutes. Then add the garlic and whisk in the stock, 1 cup at a time. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, sear the okra and add to the pot, along with 1/2 cup scallions. Add the thyme, optional filé powder, Worcestershire sauce, Bouquet Garni, hot sauce to taste, the reserved duck meat, and a little salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring from time to time, for at least 1 hour. Skim off any fat from the top. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce and serve hot, with or without rice. Garnish with the reserved scallions.

　　Cooks' Note

　　To enrich your chicken broth or intensify a store-bought one, pour it into a pot, add the picked duck or chicken bones, and simmer for 15 minutes. You may need to add a little water to make sure you end up with 6 cups.

　　The right cookware is essential for gumbo—don’t even think about using a thin, flimsy pot.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.