Duck and Oyster Gumbo
(serves 8 – 10)

Ingredients
2 wild ducks (2½ to 3 lbs. each), quartered
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. herbes de Provence
1 cup rendered duck fat or lard (or vegetable oil if you must)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 onions, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb. andouille sausage, diced
½ lb. smoked pork sausage, chopped
1 tbsp. minced garlic
3 qts. chicken or duck stock
2 cups oyster liquor
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. Creole seasoning
2 bay leaves
2 cups okra, diced (frozen works fine)
3 cups oysters
Tabasco sauce
1 quart cooked jasmine rice
½ cup chopped green onions

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Liberally season the ducks with salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence. Slowly roast in preheated oven until most of the fat has rendered out and the skin is nice and crispy, about 2 hours. Remove the ducks from the oven, and reserve the fat. Once cool, pick all the meat and skin from the ducks, and cut into roughly 1½-inch pieces. Reserve.

To make the roux, heat 1 cup of reserved duck fat (or lard) in a pot over medium heat, add the flour, and allow it to slowly cook to a light golden brown. This should take about ½ hour. Adjust heat if necessary (if cooking too fast) and allow the roux to further brown, stirring often, until it resembles the color of milk chocolate. This should take approximately another 5 minutes. Stir in the onions, and cook until the roux takes on a deep dark chocolate color. This should take another 5 to 10 minutes. Add the duck, celery, sausages, and garlic, and cook to combine for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add stock, oyster liquor, Worcestershire, Creole seasoning, bay leaves, and okra, and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until flavors marry, occasionally skimming the fat that rises to the top, about 1½ hours.

Add the oysters, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Season the gumbo to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Serve over rice in a large flat soup bowl, and garnish with chopped green onions.

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Ingredients:

1 1/ 2 lb extra-lean minced or finely ground beef

1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, “Rotel” drained

2 eggs

1 small green bell pepper minced

1 small sweet onion minced

1/ 4 cup Progresso Garlic herb seasoned bread crumbs

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

Salsa

Directions:

1. Combine beef, tomatoes and chilies, and the remaining ingredients, except salsa, in a large bowl. Take care to mix the ingredients well. Place this mixture on a 9×5-inch loaf and put it in an 11×7-inch glass. Bake at 375ºF for an hour. You can also grill this meat loaf by placing it on parchment paper, then on a drip rack over a tray to catch the drippings. This really ads to the flavor. I like to shape mine like a loaf of bread and grill it!

2. Remove from oven and drain out any liquid before slicing the meat loaf. (unless you grill it, see above)

Serve with salsa as a topping or place on meatloaf the last 15 minutes of cooking time for a better flavor.

Photo and recipe by Carolyn Davidson Hicks

Serves 8

1 cup Masa Meal (follow directions on package)

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (1/4 for Masa Meal mixture, 1/4 as a topper before baking)

2 tbs unsalted butter

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 lb. ground chuck

1 1/2 cup minced onion

3 tbs chili powder

4 cups red kidney beans or red beans

14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup tomato sauce

Mix Masa, add 1/4 cup cheddar stir and sit aside. Brown hamburger meat and add all ingredients. Let simmer for about 25 minutes. In a buttered baking dish place filling in first, then top with Masa mixture. Cover dish and bake about  15 ti 20 minutes or until Masa is done at about 350 degrees.