Savory Duck Confit Cannoli

From: Chef Stephen Belin, Lakeside Café, Statesboro, GA. Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Cannoli:
1 cup ricotta cheese, strained overnight
½ cup pecorino cheese, grated
zest of 1 medium-sized orange
zest of ½ half lemon
2 Tbsp. currants or chopped raisins
2 Tbsp. toasted almonds, chopped roughly
1 cup duck confit meat, shredded
1 onion, sliced and caramelized with 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
5 mint leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Cannoli Shells:
½  cup all-purpose flour
½  cup semolina flour
½  tsp.  sugar
1 Tbsp. duck fat
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Marsala wine, or more as needed
1 pinch salt
as needed, canola oil for frying

Chocolate Sauce:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pinch salt
as needed to thin, heavy cream

Garnish:
as needed, mint leaves
as needed, chili flakes

For cannoli cheese filling: In large bowl, thoroughly mix ricotta cheese, pecorino cheese, zest, currants, chopped almonds, mint, salt and pepper. Place in piping bag (or plastic bag with corner cut off). Set aside.

For cannoli meat filling: Mixed shredded duck confit with finely chopped caramelized onion. Set aside.

For cannoli shells: In a food processor, add both flours, sugar, duck fat, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and wine. Mix until dough is smooth and pliable, adding additional wine as needed to gain proper, smooth consistency. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

When dough is sufficiently chilled, remove from refrigerator; roll out on lightly floured surface to a thickness of approximately 1/8th of an inch into a rectangular shape. Cut into squares for cannoli, four for large cannoli, six for smaller.
Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with canola oil a third of the way up; heat to 350°F on the stovetop.

Starting with one corner, wrap a square of dough around the cannoli mold, pressing to seal edges where they overlap.

With tongs, plunge dough and mold into oil, frying until golden brown.  Remove from oil, drain on cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining squares.

For chocolate sauce: Melt chocolate in a double boiler; add cayenne and salt. When mixture is melting, test viscosity and add heavy cream as needed to thin for drizzling.

To assemble: Use enough duck confit mixture to cover bottom half of each cannoli shell. Compress confit to an even thickness with the flat blade of a dinner knife.  Pipe cheese mixture into the remaining space of each cannoli shell.

Arrange 3 to 4 cannoli on platter or plates; drizzle lightly with chocolate sauce and garnish with mint leaves and chili flakes.