Teriyaki Duck Jalapeno Poppers

There is something about cooking up duck or goose for dinner that just screams “autumn.” With the first two (small) ducks of the year, there wasn’t enough meat to cook them as a stand-alone protein – so these teriyaki duck jalapeno poppers were just the ticket! This recipe will make eight jalapeno poppers. If you want to serve these as an appetizer for a group, or if you shoot more than two ducks at a time, simply double the amounts.

Ingredients

2 small ducks

1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup pineapple juice
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger

4 jalapenos
1 block cream cheese
8 strips of bacon (not thick cut)

Method

Since we are using small ducks (we save mallards for other recipes), simply breast out each duck. Slice each breast in half, so that you have eight slices of duck. In a small bowl, combine orange and pineapple juices, soy sauce, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and one teaspoon of ground ginger. Place duck into marinade, cover and place in fridge for eight hours.

To make the poppers, slice jalapenos in half and remove all the seeds. Take the duck out of the marinade and pat dry. Spread cream cheese into each jalapeno half and lay a duck slice on each popper. Finally, wrap each jalapeno in a slice of bacon and secure in place with a toothpick.

These can be cooked either on a BBQ or in an oven, preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If cooking in an oven, line a baking sheet with foil before placing poppers down. If barbequing, you can place the poppers directly on the grill. Cook for approximately 20 minutes and serve immediately.