Front brought some pintails.




I love big tails and I cannot lie....


Picket 4 of the fattest birds by plucking the neck area of the breast. There's something about the white fat in a pintail that impacts the taste of a gumbo.



Cut the breasts out like a dove but keep as much of the skin up the sides of the bird from the neck towards the tail as you possibly can. Singe off any feather down.
You can also use whole ducks to get a little bit more fat if you're willing to pluck and singe the whole bird




3-4 large onions
2-3 bell peppers
4-5 stalks of celery
1 bunch of green onions.
Couple tablespoons of minced garlic
2 lbs of andouille duck/goose sausage(deer sausage or store bought works too)
1 bag of chicken quarters
Tonys seasoning.
4-5 bay leafs.


In a cast iron skillet, take about 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil and put your duck breast skin down and render them down for about 10 minutes on high heat. Remove the ducks and add 3 sticks of butter and about 1 cup of flower to make the roux. We will cook our roux in a cast-iron skillet for upwards of almost 45 minutes till it is dark chocolate brown.

Dump in the bag of chicken quarters and cover with water bring to a boil for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Add bouillon cubes and bay leafs.

Cook down all of your vegetables until they are wilted and clear.


Remove chicken and duck and strain your stock to keep for your gumbo.

Add roux, vegetables, picked chicken to the stock. Cook on low medium for an hour or until done. Add Tonys to taste.

I don't put the duck breast back in I eat them on the side. This makes enough for 10 people.

Cut in half (except the roux) for smaller groups.

If you like it richer-add a couple pints of oysters.

More pics to follow this afternoon.

Great write up, great photos, delicious recipe. You seem to do everything to max, no shortcuts. That recipe makes me want to pluck birds.

Sounds delicious. I'm jealous.

Very good!

C'est pas bonne!!

4 breasts produces about a 1/2 cup of oil.


Added 1 stick of butter to cool the roux.

That looks delicious!!!! Had to been way better than our chicken and dumplings here at the fire station....

Did you poor red wine in that gumbo or a lil sherry?
Looks good.

No. The dark rough gives it that look.

This was my lunch the other day after the hunt in 5 degree windchill at the Windthorst gasstation.
Homemade beef stew with salad bar and desert for $6.25. It was great. Some places in TX are still cheap and good.

Looks good. I tried gumbo once it did not come out very well.. I may have to try some version of this, I hate plucking ducks tho.

I'm gona try this. I've got three ducks in the freezer.

Had it over the holidays but had to use turkey dark meat.

Two of favorite recipes for wild game.....Gumbo & Stew