Traditionally, cooks prepared jambalaya in a covered pot, often hanging over a fire. But this duck jambalaya translates well to a grill party with a few modifications. If you don’t care for duck, or find it gaspingly expensive in local stores, substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ignoring the instructions below regarding the duck skin.–Cheryl and Bill Jamison
Duck Jambalaya FAQs
Andouille is a smoked pork sausage that originated in France. The American version comes from Louisiana and is smokier and spicier. Popular in Cajun and Creole cuisine, andouille can be either fresh or fully cooked.
Gumbo and jambalaya are classic Louisiana dishes that boast multicultural Creole and Cajun roots. They’re similar up to a point but the finished dish is quite different. The main difference between the two is the role of the rice, which is integral to both. Gumbo is served with rice that is cooked separately, but rice goes into the jambalaya pot as part of the whole recipe.
One of the best things about cooking duck is the lush flavor that comes from the thick layer of fat, especially covering the breast meat. Slicing through the layer of fat helps it to render faster, bathing the meat and making it moist and full of flavor. Leaving in unscored also means that the duck meat will take longer to cook and the fatty layer won’t crisp up.
Duck Jambalaya
Ingredients
For the grill
For the pot
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 1/4 pound tasso (Cajun-seasoned ham), country ham, or other smoky ham, minced
- 1 1/2 cups minced celery
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 plump garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
- 3 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon store-bought or homemade Tabasco sauce or other Louisiana hot sauce, or more to taste
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 3/4 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly milled pepper
- A handful of thin-sliced scallion rings, green and white portions both
Instructions
- If the duck breast skin is any thicker than 1/4 inch, trim it to that thickness with a sharp knife, shearing off portions as needed. Also, slice off any portions of skin or fat that hang beyond the top edge of the meat. Make crisscross cuts down through the remaining skin on the breasts. Make the cuts about 1/2 inch apart, through the skin but not into the flesh. This will help the seasonings flavor the duck more fully, and during cooking, it promotes gradual and easy rendering of fat. Rub the salt and pepper over the breasts, cover them, and let them and the andouille sit at room temperature.
- Fire up the grill, bringing the heat to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test). You will need enough grate space to be able to move the duck breasts around as needed when the inevitable and theatrical flare-ups occur. If you would like to cook the rice over the grill fire, instead of on a side burner or stovetop, you'll need the capability for medium-low heat as well.
- Begin the rice. Warm the oil in a heavy 8-to-10-inch skillet over high heat. Mix in the onions and tasso and sauté until the onion is well browned but not burned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the celery, bell peppers, and garlic, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the vegetables are softened, about 5 additional minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for about 3 minutes longer, until the grains are translucent. Pour in the stock and add the Tabasco sauce, bay leaf, mustard powder, salt, thyme, and pepper. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring up from the bottom once about halfway through the cooking.
- While the rice cooks, grill the duck breasts and andouille over medium heat. Place the breasts on the grill skin side down. Grill over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, watching carefully and moving them around as needed to avoid flare-ups. Cook until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp. Turn the breasts and grill them skin side up for an additional 3 to 4 minutes for medium, then slice thinly so that each piece has some of the crisp skin. Grill the andouille until nicely brown and a bit crisp, about 6 to 10 minutes, depending on size. Slice the andouille into thin half-moons.
- Remove the rice from the heat when done, and let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Stir the andouille and any juice from it and the duck into the rice. Remove the bay leaf from the rice. Spoon jambalaya into a large bowl or onto plates. Arrange duck slices on top, dot with scallions, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This duck jambalaya was a fun recipe to prepare and eat. The rice-and-vegetable mixture was particularly tasty, especially as enhanced by the taste and texture of the andouille sausage. As mentioned in the method section, caution needs to be taken when grilling duck breasts. Flare-ups do indeed occur. Therefore, trimming away as much duck fat as possible will make for better-cooked breasts. The duck jambalaya turned out quite well and we all enjoyed it.
