Wild Table with Savage Arms: Venison Sausage Gumbo

Although there are people out there who don't like spicy food, you'll find that almost all of them love gumbo. That's because this Cajun dish doesn't actually use any capsaicin ingredients ... all the "warmth" is flavor derived from ingredients like celery and fresh green pepper. This delicious dish lends itself very well to all kinds of wild game, but venison sausage is particularly delicious in gumbo. It may be something of a challenging dish, but our friends at Savage Arms have a step-by-step tutorial to create a venison sausage gumbo that'll wow your friends (and help you use every last bit of your wild-game harvest)!

INGREDIENTS 

• 5 Stalks Celery 
• 1 Green Pepper 
• 1 Red Pepper 
• 1 Large Yellow Onion 
• 1 Bunch parsley finely chopped 
• 4-5 Cloves Garlic 
• 4 Tbs. Cajun seasoning 
• 2/3 Cup Butter or Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cup Flour
• 12 oz. Okra chopped 
• 7 Cup Chicken Broth
• 2 Upland, Duck or Chicken Breasts 
• 1.5-2 Lbs. Venison Sausage 
• 6-7 Green Onions 
• 1 lbs. Shrimp 
• 1 Tbs. Gumbo File 
• 2 Bay Leaves 
• 2 Tbs. Butter 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large fry pan, heat oil or butter and flour on medium low stirring constantly until mixture is a deep brown. This takes a long time! 45 minutes to an hour typically. Resist the urge to turn the heat up and rush it. If it burns, it's ruined, and you'll have to start over. 
2. In a 6 quart or larger stock pot, add 2 Tbs. butter and brown sausage and cook the bird breasts on medium/high until done. Once complete remove them from the pot. 
3. In the same stock pot, add 1/2 cup chicken broth, chopped green pepper, red pepper and onion. Cook on medium/high for 4-5 minutes.
4. Add remaining broth, finely chopped parsley, gumbo file, bay leaf, sliced green onion, chopped okra and meat to the pot. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. 
5. Stir in Cajun seasoning to taste and serve over a bed of rice.