CANIS Cooks: Wild Game Gumbo

Who doesn’t love a delicious bowl of gumbo on a cold winter day? If you’ve got some game put away in the freezer, this is a great recipe to put it to good use! Pull out the spring/fall turkey breasts and some venison sausage and let’s get to cooking!

The Ingredients
2, 32oz beef or chicken broth (or if you got a few hours make your own)
1 lb. turkey, duck, chicken breast (or any game meat of your choice
5 venison sausage links
3 stalks of Celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 cup flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne
Slap Yo Mamma Cajun seasoning (or your favorite)
Salt and pepper
Olive Oil
1 cup jasmine rice (uncooked)

The Preparation
Lightly dust breasts cut into 4 equal sized pieces with flour and lightly brown in skillet (do not cook through). Remove and let cool, then cube into ½ to ¾ inch pieces.

Now for the secret sauce! A traditional roux. Making a roux can sound intimidating, but it’s really pretty simple. Grab a separate skillet and combine 1 cup of oil with 1 cup of flour over low heat. The key is to stir frequently until the roux turns brown. Once this happens, sit it aside for later.

It’s time to cook the veggies. Grab a largo soup pot and add some olive oil. Add the diced onion, celery, and green pepper and cook until onions are translucent. Add in the broth, roux mixture, spices, and any other vegetables you would like (some use lima beans, corn, okra, etc.)

Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, add in your meat that you have sliced and cooked and allow that to simmer another 45 minutes.

While this is simmering, prepare your jasmine rice per instructions on the bag.

Honestly, you can leave this simmering for a few hours and let the flavors continue to develop, but after the initial hour and a half or so, you can chow down if you are ready. Be sure to taste it before you serve and add additional salt, pepper, or Cajun seasoning if needed.

Grab a bowl, put some rice in it, and then ladle the gumbo on top. Laissez les bon temps rouler!