Asian Duck Bundles with Cracklings
By Student Chef Jacob Graves, California Culinary Academy,
San Francisco, CA

Makes about 36-40 bundles
Yeilds 8 to 12 Servings

Ingedients:
1 whole duck, about 5 Ibs. (cut into 4 pieces
- skin & fat pulled off and set aside)
4 cups Chicken Stock or (low sodium chicken broth)
1 cup Rice Wine
1 cup Soy Sauce
1 cup Prepared Plum Sauce
2 oz. Dried Tomatoes
1 tlbs. Fresh Ginger (chopped)
2 tspn. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tspn. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 bottle 1997 Garre Winery Merlot
1 package square won ton wrappers
1 sheet nori (sushi wrapper) carefully cut into long, thin strips the width of household string
5 to 6 cups Vegetable oil for deep frying
TT Salt

Procedure:
1. Combine chicken broth, rice wine, soy sauce, plum sauce, dried tomatoes, ginger, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and add the duck pieces. Bring to a simmer again and cook for approximately 1 hour or until the meat falls from the bone. Cool.

2. Make cracklings: Cut the duck skin/fat into small dice, about the size of a pea. In a medium skillet, add the duck fat. Cover the fat with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the all the water has evaporated and the duck skin is simmering in rendered fat and is crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly salt the cracklings. Set aside.

3. Drain the duck meat from its cooking liquid. Chill the cooking liquid in the refrigerator. Skim the fat from the chilled cooking liquid. Return the cooking liquid to a medium saucepan and reduce until it is syrupy. Make sure the cooking liquid does not scorch or burn.

4. Remove the duck meat from bones. Chop the duck meat coarsely. Discard bones.

5. Make the wine reduction: In a small saucepan, reduce the wine over low-medium heat until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Set aside.

6. Assemble the bundles: Place about 1 ounce of duck meat in the center of a won-ton wrapper and drizzle about 2 teaspoons of reduced cooking liquid on top of the duck. Gather the corners of the won ton wrapper. Tie the filled and gathered won ton together with a strip nori paper to create and pouch with a 'string' tied around it. Repeat procedure until all the duck meat is used.

7. Place enough oil in a 3 quart pot to fill half way, and heat to 350 degrees. Fry about 4 bundles (do not over-crowd) at a time until golden brown. Remove bundles from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the bundles are fried.

8. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of reduced wine onto a plate and place 3 or 4 bundles on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with cracklings. Serve immediately.

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