Thu Dec 05, 2013 5:11 pm
You'll need:
1- set of goose breasts or equivalent in duck breasts, bigger ducks work better
1- apple
1- pkg small wonton wraps (like 1.5" x 1.5")
All Spice
Butter
Lingonberry or Hot Pepper Jam
cut duck or goose breasts into strips about 2" long, 1/2" wide, most people would call it 'fajita style'
sautee strips in butter in skillet, or do a high temp sear, set on paper towel to cool and absorb excess butter/blood... you're shooting for that med rare/med line.
slice one apple into long thin cuts, think sliced onion, but long and narrow, not round slices. Your going to line the wonton like a burrito.
in wonton, place apple slices, duck breast chunks, and season with All Spice. You'll want to wet your wrap a little bit, have a finger bowl of water near by so, wet a finger or two, wipe across wrap, the put ingredients in. The all spice is a guess, so go with what feels right.
Roll wrap, the ends will be open. I don't tuck corners or anything funky.
clear the butter out of the skillet and heat peanut or grape seed oil, something that has a high smoke point. You want the pan hot, like 375+. Vegetable oil hasn't seemed quite hardy enough and isn't a good flavor enhancer. Peanut oil is preferred for me, but my kid has a peanut allergy, so I've switched to grape seed oil
drop wontons in hot oil. They'll pop and splatter because of the apple and you wiped them with water, so be careful. cook until the edges of the wonton get a crisp brown to them. Anticipate you'll need to split up the wontons for cooking. If too close in the pan, the oil cools, wontons don't cook evenly, and you end up with soggy wontons. Use long tongs to put in and pull out.
set on wrack or paper towel to cool and clear excess oil.
Best if served still warm or at room temp direct from cooking. Serve with Lingonberry Jam or a hot pepper jam. Keep warm in oven, don't microwave. Never been left overs, so not sure how they do re-heated. guessing pan or oven would be best.
If you want to cut on the sautee/sear time and add some flavor, soak your slices in apple cider vinegar over night. This will even out flavors, break down some of the tissue, and give a better look of "cook through" when biting into it (rather than that~ done, almost done, rare~ that happens on meat with different thickness in the same piece).
It's kind of a pain in the ass because of the two cooking steps and popping oil, but it makes you look like a chef type, particularly when you pull out the Lingonberry and/or Hot Pepper jams. They're not common, the meat doesn't "taste like duck", and your family/neighbors will think you got some kind of gift because to them, that chit is exotic. Especially when you're stuff is set next to the Cream Cheese/Pickle/Meat wraps, Tortilla Pinwheels, and things on tooth picks.
If you're married, this will work once for your wife being impressed, then, like everything else, she'll expect it. However, it greatly increases the number of friends/neighbors/relatives wives that will be holding a special thought for you next time a little fantasy is all they need.