Duck Potstickers with Spicy Cherry Dipping Sauce

In yet another attempt to find yummy ways to use up all this wild duck (the duck pastrami was a complete bust, but I'm planning another attempt soon!), I made potstickers. The recipe I used called for grinding the raw breast meat, but since I don't have a grinder that will tackle such a task, I made some alterations.

First, I braised the boneless, skinless breasts like I did for the shepard's pie. This time, I seasoned the meat with salt, pepper, ginger, & garlic. I still topped them in bacon, sliced onions, & chicken stock, then roasted them (covered) at 400 degrees for 15 minutes & for an additional 40 minutes at 300 degrees. Afterwards, I let the meat cool before shredding it.

I made the filling by mixing the cooked meat & bacon with scallion, carrot, ginger, garlic, soy, & pepper in a food processor to make a paste.

I will say that I didn't soak the meat in milk (or buttermilk) beforehand, and I could really taste the difference. The filling ended up tasting very livery, which is not something I really liked. However, if you like that sort of thing, you're sure to love these...they were rich and meaty. Next time--and every time I use wild duck from now on--I'll be sure to give them a milk bath to cut back on the gamey flavor. That being said, I will try this recipe again!

Duck Potstickers with Spicy Cherry Dipping Sauce

For the potstickers:
4 wild duck breasts, boneless & skinless
4 slices bacon (for braising)
1 onion, sliced (for braising)
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, coursely chopped
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
black pepper
potsticker or wonton wrappers
duck fat
chicken stock

For the dipping sauce:
1 cup cherry jam
1 tablespoon chile paste (sambal oelek)
2 tablespoons soy sauce

• Braise the ducks breasts as explained above.
  
• Pulse the cooked meat with the bacon, scallion, carrot, ginger, garlic, soy, & a couple grinds of black pepper in a food processor to form a paste. Taste & adjust seasonings if needed.
• Fill the potsticker wrappers with about a 1/2 tablespoon of filling, fold over, and seal the edges. Shape the potstickers so that they are standing up, not laying flat.

• Melt about 1 tablespoon of duck fat in a nonstick skilled. When it's hot, add the pot stickers and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned on the bottom.

• Add 1/4-1/2 cup of chicken stock to the pan and cover with a lid. Steam for about 5 minutes, or until most of the stock has evaporated. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the bottoms of the potstickers are browned and crispy. Remove from the pan & serve with the dipping sauce.

• To make the dipping sauce: Combine the three ingredients together. Puree in a food processor if you have chunky jam & add more soy if you want it to be thinner. Alternatively, you could simmer the ingredients in a sauce pan until melted and smooth.