Duck Cigars

By MichelleF

My family is a huge fan of the Duck Cigars appetizer at Kiepersol's. Allen asked me to figure out how to make them. This recipe isn't the same, but a close second. The only thing I can't replicate is the sauce. I've tried a couple online, but we don't like them, & none are even close to Kiepersol's. So we just use salsa. I actually like them with sour cream, too. Next time Allen wants me to try chopped jalapeños in it, so that's included below. The recipe I adapted this from uses duck fat reserved from confit. I don't make the confit because it's a 36-hour process of curing the duck meat. You can buy a tub of duck fat from stores that carry more exotic products, like Brookshire's Fresh, but it's rather expensive for a 7 oz to 8 oz tub when you only need ¼ to ½ cup. The first time I made these I used the confit. The second time, I didn't use it, using butter & olive oil instead. I don't think it made a difference. The marinade is sold by the BBQ sauce & Worcestershire sauce. We prefer the low sodium Dale’s when we can find it. Don’t let the cherries scare you off. They add just a hint of sweetness to the cigars, but you can omit them if you want.

Ingredients

• Meat from 4 to 8 ducks
• Dale's or Moore's marinade
• 2 to 4 TB butter
• 2 to 4 TB olive oil, plus more for cooking
• 1/2 to 1 cup minced shallots
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1 to 2 jalapeños (or more), seeded & finely chopped, optional
• 2 to 4 TB cognac or brandy
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Egg roll wrappers
• 1 to 2 eggs, beaten

Preparation

Step 1

Marinate the duck meat while you chop the shallots, cherries, & jalapeños. Coarsely chop the duck meat then cook in a frying pan with oil over medium heat until done. Drain, then shred in a food processor. Heat 2 to 4 TB each butter & olive oil in pan. Add shallots, cherries, & jalapeños, cooking until softened. Stir in shredded duck. Add cognac or brandy, cooking until dissolved. Season with salt & pepper. Place an egg roll wrapper on a plate or cutting board. Spread 1 to 2 TB of meat mixture across the bottom. The amount depends on how thick you want the cigars. A thinner cigar is best for an appetizer, so use 1 TB of meat. For a meal, use 2 TB meat. Fold the left side over about 1 inch, then fold the bottom over the filling. Continue to roll to form a cigar shape with one open end & one closed end. Seal with egg wash. Lightly brown in oil in a pan OR spray cigars with cooking spray & bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve with salsa.