EMPANADAS

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup lard (ex. ½  butter and ½ duck fat)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 quarts broth, simmering
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• salt
• 2 Tbsp tabasco
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 4 bay leaves
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 tsp gumbo filé
• 1-1.5 lb andouille sausage
• 1-1.5 lb duck breast, cooked and shredded
• 2 (10 oz) packages okra, frozen
• 2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Recipe

• Heat a small amount of oil and brown sausage and crisp duck. Set aside.
• Make roux by melting fat, and whisking in flour. Stir constantly until roux turns a rich chocolate or mahogany color. This can take up to 45 mins
• Once roux is made, add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook until lightly browned.
• Whisk in the broth and bring to a simmer
• Add sugar, salt, tabasco, cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, and  tomato sauce and simmer for 45 mins.
• Add gumbo file and simmer for additional 15 mins
• Cook okra with vinegar in small amount of fat until soft and slightly browned
• Stir okra, duck, sausage and worcestershire sauce into broth and simmer to let flavors blend (~45 mins). Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve topped with a scoop of rice.