Duck Poppers

From: Chef John Besh, Borgne, a John Besh Restaurant, New Orleans. Yield: 4 servings.

Duck:
1½  lb. mallard duck breast, skin removed and cut into ¼” x 2” strips
¼ cup Creole seasoning
3 pickled jalapeños, sliced thin
10 strips thick-cut smoked bacon

Cream Cheese:
4 ounces cream cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
to taste, salt & pepper

Cane Syrup:
6 oz. cane syrup
6 oz. sherry or balsamic vinegar

For duck: Rub the duck breasts with Creole seasoning. Sear the duck breasts in a minimal amount of oil in a cast iron skillet just until a crust forms. Chill the duck breast, then slice.

For cream cheese: Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Once soft, mix in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.

For cane syrup: Add the cane syrup and vinegar to a small sauce pot. Reduce the syrup vinegar mix by half.

For poppers: Wrap each breast strip around a slice of pickled jalapeño, then wrap a piece of bacon around the duck. Skewer the poppers with a bamboo skewer. Grill skewers of poppers until bacon is crispy and slightly charred. Smear some of the cream cheese in a line on a plate. Remove poppers from skewer and place on top of the cream cheese. Drizzle some of the cane syrup over the poppers.