Manchego Duck Pintxos with Red Curry Cream
| Serves | 4 |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Game, Cheese, Vegetables |
| Day Part | Snack |
| Menu Part | Appetizer/Small Plate |
| Cuisine Type | Asian |
Source: Maple Leaf Farms
A couple of these meatballs are enough to soothe a few hunger pangs; add a couple more for a filling mid-afternoon or early evening snack. Chef Watz flavors the recipe with Spanish ingredients, such as smoked paprika and manchego cheese, but adds red curry paste for a touch of Thai.
Ingredients
2 lb. ground duck
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh shallots
2 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
16 oz. manchego cheese, cut into 1/2-in. dice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups arugula, stemmed, washed and well dried
1 cup Mango Salad (recipe follows)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup Tapas Red Curry Cream (recipe follows)
4 lime wedges
8 sprigs cilantro
Mango Salad
16 oz. mangos, peeled, pitted, julienne sliced
8 oz. English cucumbers, seeded, quartered and thinly sliced
8 oz. carrots, julienne sliced
4 oz. red onion, finely diced
4 oz. red bell peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime Juice
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
Lightly toss all ingredients in a chilled mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Lightly toss before serving.
Tapas Red Curry Cream
2 2/3 cups sour cream
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
2 tbsp. red curry paste
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. kosher salt
In med. bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended.
Steps
- Prepare Meatballs: In a chilled mixing bowl, place ground duck. Add fresh herbs, garlic, shallots, lemon zest, salt, spices, mustard and balsamic vinegar; lightly combine taking care not to over mix.
- Portion ground duck mixture into 32 meatballs, about 1 oz. each. Make a small indentation in each meatball; insert a piece of manchego cheese. Tightly roll into a ball shape; set aside.
- In large, nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over med. heat. In batches, place duck meatballs into skillet and sear on each side for approximately 2 min. or until nicely browned. Gently remove duck meatballs from skillet; arrange on rimmed baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Continue to cook any remaining duck meatballs, adding additional olive oil to skillet as needed.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Place meatballs in oven and bake 5 to 6 min. or until they are fully cooked and reach an internal temperature of 160 F. Remove from oven, transferring to a clean pan. Reserve in a warm area covered with foil.
- Prepare Mango Salad; set aside.
- Prepare Tapas Red Curry Cream; set aside.
- For service, thread 2 meatballs onto each of 24 bamboo skewers. Place 1/2 cup arugula in center of 4 serving platters; spoon 1/4 cup Mango Salad on top of arugula. Arrange 4 duck skewers around perimeter of each platter. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. crumbled goat cheese over each Mango Salad. Drizzle 2 tbsp. Spiced Red Curry Cream around perimeter of each platter. Garnish with lime wedge and 2 sprigs cilantro.