Now You’re Cookin’
Mouth-Watering Recipes from Hutch and Katie’s Kitchen

By Dan Nelson, Editor

Do your hunting seasons seem to disappear faster than a blue-winged teal in a gust of wind?   Wouldn’t it be great if duck season lasted all year, rather than just a few weeks?

Dr. Tom Hutchens and his wife Katie enjoy duck hunting 365 days a year.  No, the former chairman of Delta’s board of directors and his effervescent wife don’t shoot ducks out of season.  They stretch their season by shooting skeet, trap and sporting clays; training their retrievers, and cooking.

Boy, do they cook.

As virtually anyone who’s spent any time at the Hutchens’ Dead Buffalo Lake Lodge east of Bismarck, ND can attest, Tom and Katie have more lip-smacking ways to fix duck and other game than you can shake a wooden spoon at.

“We much prefer the wild harvest over store-bought meat killed by others,” Hutch wrote in a moving farewell commentary when he stepped down as board chairman last year.  “This is our desire and choice, and absolutely defines our lifestyle.”

The Hutchens shared their lifestyle with my wife and I on a sweltering Saturday this summer, whipping up four of their favorite duck recipes, two of which we’ll share in this edition of the Camp Chef.  There’ll be more recipes from Hutch and Katie’s kitchen online soon.

Meanwhile, enjoy!

Wild Duck and Sausage Gumbo

Katie starts by making three quarts of duck stock.  Bring the water in a stockpot to a simmer and add enough duck breasts or whole ducks to yield three cups of shredded meat.  Also add:

• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 carrot sticks, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• Few peppercorns

Simmer for three hours, then remove the duck and shred the meat into pieces, making sure you remove the bones and shot pellets.

Next, make a dark roux by combining over medium heat:

• 1 cup of oil, and
• 1 cup of flour

Stir constantly until the roux is brown, then add and sauté:

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped green pepper

When the vegetables are softened, add:

• The stock (strain and discard the vegetables)
• Salt and pepper
• Cajun seasoning (to taste)

Simmer 30 to 45 minutes.

Add:

• The cooked duck
• 11⁄2 cup sausage (smoked, deer or pork; ground or link)

Simmer 15 to 20 minutes more.

Serve in bowls over cooked rice.  Garnish with 1⁄4-cup each of chopped parsley and chopped green onion.   Sprinkle with file powder, which will thicken and enhance the flavor of this scrumptious dish.

Katie’s note: The ingredients may be increased to taste, and traditional gumbo ingredients like okra and tomatoes may be added.