DUCK DUMPLINGS w/PERSIMMON CHUTNEY

By BobD

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 whole boneless duck breast, 12 to 14 ounces, trimmed of skin and fat and ground
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons peeled, finely grated ginger
• 1/4 cup finely chopped tarragon
• 1 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1 12-ounce package round dumpling wrappers
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 About 2 cups water

Details

Servings 40
Adapted from events.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium bowl, combine the mushrooms, olive oil and sesame oil and mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the ground duck meat, soy sauce, brandy, ginger, tarragon and scallions and mix thoroughly. Stir in the mushroom mixture.

Place 1 dumpling wrapper on a work surface and put 1 scant tablespoon of the duck mixture into the center of it. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a little water and fold one side over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges together to make a tight seal. Place the dumpling on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and repeat until all the filling is used.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat and add as many dumplings as fit in a single layer. Fry them until they just start to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in 1/3 cup water, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 7 minutes longer. Uncover and cook until the water evaporates and the dumplings are crisp on the bottom. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet and repeat until all the dumplings are cooked

Serve warm with persimmon chutney

Persimmon Chutney

4 persimmons, preferably Fuyu, peeled and diced
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon seeded, finely diced jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon peeled, minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds

In a medium saucepan, combine the persimmons, honey, lemon juice, jalapeno pepper and ginger and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract and almonds. Serve with duck dumplings.

YIELD Approximately 2 cups