If you want to impress friends and family at your next get-together when you have to bring appetizers, try these bacon-wrapped jalapeno duck poppers from executive chef and financial advisor Rob De Lessio, from “Taste of Retirement,” on YouTube.
First of all, I must add a disqualifier: I was not surfing for retirement information on the Internet. I searched for jalapeno duck poppers, and this was on the top search page.
I happened to have fresh duck on hand, from an Arkansas waterfowl hunting trip with The Sisterhood of the Outdoors. I like this recipe because it can be done in the oven, quickly. Also, Rob adds hoisin sauce at the end, which gives this dish an Asian twist.
Here’s what you’ll need for the dish:
About two hours before you prep this dish, lay out the cream cheese, so it softens. Then, you need to wash the duck breasts, and make sure to check for errant bbs. You don’t want a dental bill after dinner.
Assemble the ingredients, including the bacon, and start preparing.
First, you’ll have to clean the jalapenos. Rob recommends wearing gloves. Oh, yes. Most definitely wear gloves, or you’ll be suffering if you forget and rub your eyes later. Cut each pepper in half vertically, then use a spoon to hollow out the seeds. Rinse.
Then, you should take the duck breasts and cut them into strips.
Pat the peppers dry. Then, take a spoonful of cream cheese, and push it into the crevice of the pepper. Be generous.
Add a strip of duck meat on top of the cheese, followed by a piece of bacon wrapped around and around the entire pepper.
Tuck the bacon under the pepper and place it into the pan. You can try to cover the entire pepper, as I did, or be a little more lenient and let some green show through, as Rob did.
In fact, you can watch Rob in action here:
I took these poppers to a New Year’s Eve party, and they were long gone before the clock struck 12. And, it was extra special, because they came from a hunt with one of my friends at the party.
Nota bene: You could always throw these on the grill. And, you can substitute just about any wild meat for the duck.
Supposedly, you can freeze them, too.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
