Asian Duck Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Victoria Mullaney for SPLIT REED

The great freezer COVID clean-out continues here at Black Pearl and I’m thrilled to be preparing some of my favorite warm-weather game recipes from our winter hunting stash. This is a crowd-pleaser in which everyone can participate. Prep the duck, vegetables, and sauces. Set up an assembly line so your guests can create their own spring rolls. Rolling them up takes a bit of practice, so don’t get discouraged! Kids love these and it’s a great way to introduce wild game to your kids’ friends who are unaccustomed to eating like ‘a wild man’! To satisfy everyone in the crowd, I add thinly sliced venison steaks, steamed shrimp, or chicken to the lineup.

I prepare these rolls using my sous vide cooker or a very hot cast-iron skillet. The advantage of the sous vide is that you cannot overcook the duck, but the vigilant chef will achieve perfect results in cast iron.  Let the breasts marinate in the seasonings for several hours before cooking.

1) Prepare the duck

• 4 boneless duck breasts

• Salt

• Chinese five-spice powder

• ¼ – ½ cup Hudson Valley duck fat, wild duck fat you’ve rendered, or olive oil

• Vacuum sealer and bag

• Sous vide precision cooker

• Duck Prep Directions:

Rinse and dry duck breasts, making sure all shot is removed. Season moderately with salt and five-spice powder. Place seasoned breasts into a vacuum sealer bag with the duck fat and seal to remove all the air. Place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Heat sous vide water bath to 136 degrees F. Place breasts into the water and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the sous vide and give them a quick sear in a smoking hot cast iron skillet. Allow to cool and slice into julienne strips.

2) Prepare The Teriyaki Sauce

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons water

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon water

Teriyaki Sauce Directions:

Combine the first 7 ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Mix the cornstarch with the tablespoon of water and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and return to a simmer until thickened.

3) Prepare The Fillings

• 12 rice paper wrappers

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 4 – 5 ounces Vermicelli rice noodles, cooked

• 4 – 5 cups mixed raw vegetables julienned (I use carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, scallions, bean sprouts)

4) Prepare The Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon Sriracha

• Water

Peanut Dipping Sauce Directions:

Mix the above ingredients, minus the water, until combined. Slowly add water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

5) Make Your Spring Rolls

Fill a pan or baking dish large enough to hold the rice paper with 1 – 2 inches of warm water.  Slip a rice paper disc into the water and maneuver it around the dish with your fingertips for 15 to 20 seconds or until it just begins to soften. Remove it from the water and place it on a plastic or glass cutting board (It sticks to wood).

NOTE: If the rice paper gets too soft it will tear easily when you roll it around the filling, so this may take a few attempts to figure out the perfect time based on the paper manufacturer and water temperature.

Just below the middle of the rice paper start to layer the vegetables, duck, cilantro, and noodles. Spoon a bit of the teriyaki sauce over the filling. Roll up tightly, tucking the sides in after you pull the end closest to you up over the filling.

6) Serve right away with the peanut dipping sauce!