Riceland rice bran oil makes a great Roux Homer’s been making his gumbo at this popular southeast Arkansas restaurant for more years than he can remember. “Our previous owner, Linda Gaines, got it from her sister,” he says. “It’s an old recipe that’s been ad-libbed over the years.” Many of the ingredients in Le Petit Cajun Bistro’s gumbo come as no surprise. There’s the “holy trinity” of Cajun ingredients: celery, green bell pepper and onion. There’s smoked sausage. But Homer has a secret ingredient that he says makes his gumbo go from good to great—turkey broth. “Turkey stock is the best stock,” he says. “It can be hard to find if you want to buy it, but I make it here.” The turkey stock is paired with chicken stock and, because it just wouldn’t be Stuttgart without them, a couple of ducks. At a nearby prep table, Homer is being assisted by Whitney Robinson, who is steadily deboning thirty pounds of chicken thigh quarters. She shakes her head in amusement as Homer tests the heat of a pan with his bare fingers. “He’s been doing this so long he doesn’t get burned,” she says with a laugh. Homer just smiles and flexes his calloused cook’s hands. Along with a seafood-stuffed chicken dish and the restaurant’s signature étouffée, the gumbo is a huge draw for Le Petite Cajun Bistro’s clientele. During duck season, when Stuttgart’s population swells to many times its normal size of just over 9,000 people, the café will go through one of these 19-gallon batches in just a couple of days. It is simply served with Homer’s oven-baked rice—a rich, filling dish sure to help shake off the chill of the duck blind. We’ve scaled down the recipe for you to try at home, and we urge you to make this recipe your own. Use different proteins, different types of stock—just make sure your roux is right. Homer wouldn’t have it any other way. 18 | Arkansas Wild ¸ winter 2016
Stir the roux constantly
Homer Campbell prepares a pot of gumbo
A pot chock full of deliciousness