Duck Wontons

I’ve been asked many times what my favorite meal is, or what my last meal ever would be. My answer is always wontons. My mom made wontons constantly throughout my childhood, and pork wontons swimming in a potent, flavorful broth topped with scallions and white pepper became a staple. But I love them in all forms: pork-only wontons, pork and shepherd’s purse, in soup, or tossed in a spicy vinegar-y sauce. My parents always used pork, and that’s probably the most traditional way, but I’ve had delicious lamb and beef wontons as well. When Wines of Rioja asked me to create a recipe that pairs with red wines from their region, I immediately had the thought, what about wontons, and with duck?? I’ve had this idea brewing in my mind for a while, and when I tried my first glass of wine from the region, I knew that a wonton full of aromatic duck would be incredibly harmonious.

This post is in partnership with Wines of Rioja. All opinions expressed are purely my own, as always. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that support this blog.

Rioja (pronounced ree-oh-ha!) is Spain’s most prestigious and historic wine region. As someone who grew up in the bay area and loved exploring the nearby Napa Valley, I’m alwayseager to learn about other wine regions. I’m no expert, but sampling varieties is always fun, and pairing with food is even better. The first time I had a wine and cheese pairing, I was stunned by how a single pairing of cheese could enhance or detract from the wine. I was excited to try and learn more about Rioja wines. Rioja is the only wine region in the world that does not release any of its wines until ready to drink – meaning no need to age these on your shelves. Simply open and drink.

Rioja wines are fruity, well-balanced, and they are extremely compatible with food – this was I was so excited about. I received two varieties of red from Rioja – Cepas Antiguas Joven, and Cantos de Valpiedra Crianza. I opened both for a little taste testing session on how they would go with duck wontons – both were divine! Alex is a novice wine enthusiast and was so excited to try the two as well. Verdict: they go with duck wonton insanely well.

 

 

 

These duck wontons were dreamed up in my head months ago and I finally made them. They will not disappoint. I asked Alex if he liked these or the more traditional pork wontons (which are my favorite) and he actually said these duck wontons. That stung a little, but I could see why. I will warn you, they do take more time to make than conventional wontons, because you’ll have to hand-mince the duck leg meat (or, ask your butcher to put it through a mincer!!). You can freeze the meat for 15 minutes to make the mincing easier, and always use sharp knives (but be careful).

Recipe: Duck wontons in Roasted Jalapeno Sauce

2 duck legs, skin and bone removed and reserved for stock
2 teaspoons ginger, finely minced
2 tablespoons water soaked with ginger and scallion bits (discard bits when using)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sherry wine or Mirin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package wonton wrappers (eggless)

Stock
Duck leg skin and bones from before
2 slices fresh ginger
3 scallions
1 stalk lemongrass (optional)

Sauce
2 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, plus more to taste

1. First, make stock: preheat oven to 375 and toss duck skin, bones, and jalapenos onto a baking tray. Bake for 25 minutes. Set jalapeno aside, and reserve rendered duck fat.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine duck skin and bones with scallions, ginger, and lemongrass and cover with water. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
3. Mince duck leg meat until sesame seed sized. I like to go in one direction first, turn the cutting board and go perpendicular, then go diagonal both ways to ensure total mince. It will turn more pasty, which is what we are looking for.
4. Mix duck meat with remaining ingredients. Whip in one direction until paste-like in texture.
5. Wrap wontons and set aside. To freeze for later, lay out in a baking tray in a single layer and place in the freezer. When frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag.
6. Throw roasted jalapeno and ½ cup of stock in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
7. Combine puree with remaining sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat up over medium heat. Sauce will bubble in large bubbles first, then transform into small micro bubbles- at this point, let it cook a few more minutes until thickened. Add more salt or sugar to taste.
8. Cook wontons: In a pot of boiling water, add wontons. When wontons rise, add ½ cup cold water. Bring back to a boil, and add another ½ cup water.
9. Remove wontons with a slotted spoon into individual serving bowls. Spoon sauce over, and serve with fresh scallions and toasted white sesame seeds.