SippitySup

Duck Duck Goose. You’re it! Or rather I’m it, because I got my hands on a bottle of Cherry Chipotle ‘Not Ketchup’. It’s a new product from my friend Erika Kerekes of In Erika’s Kitchen. So if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a few words to explain how these Cherry Chipotle Duck Skewers came to be.

Let’s start with the the ‘Not Ketchup’ part of the story. I knew that my friend Erika was working on bringing a product to market. I knew that it was ‘ketchup’ and I knew that it wasn’t ‘ketchup’. The rest I figured was top secret and I let it go at that. Then presto boom bang, I heard she’d found some distribution of this new ‘Not Ketchup’ ketchup and one of the places that carried this new sauce was Artisan Cheese Gallery in Studio City. 4.63 miles from my house.

4.63 miles is what I consider geographically friendly. I don’t mind driving 4.63 miles. Good thing it wasn’t further away, or these Cherry Chipotle Duck Skewers might never have been. Friendship is one thing, but LA traffic is quite another. Anyway friendship won out and off I went to the cheese store.

Once I arrived I saw the object of my desire. Erika’s ‘Not Ketchup’ was prominently displayed on the shelf. I hadn’t realized that it came in three flavors. I mean, ketchup is ketchup, right? Well, no. ‘Not Ketchup’ is not ketchup, that is if you stick to the strictest definition that requires ketchup to contain tomato. Well that’s a stupid rule and I’m happy Erika broke it.

Except now I had a choice to make. A flavorful choice because the three flavors before me all seemed tempting. Blueberry White Pepper, Smoky Date, and Cherry Chipotle. Which would I choose?

Wine Pairing

2010 Celler de Capcanes Mas Donis Barrica 

It’s no secret that I get a kick out of finding a good deal. When we’re talking about wine, the technical term is Quality-Price Ratio (QPR). When Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate awards a 92-point rating to a ten buck bottle, that’s a QPR worth checking out. I took a chance (admittedly, not a very big one) and bought a case of the 2010 Celler de […]

Ken Eskenazi

Price $10

Pairs well with lamb, chicken, pork, sausage, pizza, pasta; rice, vegetable (mussaka, ratatouille), cheese

Contemplating my decision, I turned my attention to the sandwich board. It was nearly noon and all these food choices were making me hungry. The very first sandwich I gazed upon was Duck Confit with Fig Jam. Well. Yum.

While I was waiting in line to order the sandwich I started thinking about duck. I’d grown up eating duck. I was a kid with a rather sophisticated palate. I have my mother to thank for that. So when I see duck on the menu my mind always turns to my mom.

The 1970’s were when my own awareness of food began to develop. My mother was a fantastic cook. She probably learned most of her skills during this same period and I’d bet that Julia Child, Simone Beck and the whole Mastering the Art of French Cooking craze were her primary sources of inspiration. While other kids were scarfing down “Tuna Twist”, “Mug-O-Lunch” and “Shake-A-Puddin”, my mom was serving us Bouillabaisse,  Mousse de Foies de Volaille and Magret de Canard aux Cerises. Which means fish soup, chopped liver and duck breast in cherry sauce.

Cherry sauce. Cherry Chipotle Duck Skewers. How could I not?

Cherry Chipotle Duck Skewers

Erika’s version may be called ‘Not Ketchup’. But it’s a classic sauce when paired with duck. I think my mother would have liked the kick in the ass that comes from chipotle, and I would have loved to see her try to eat meat off a stick. Decision made. I changed my sandwich order from duck confit to curried chicken (I like duck, but not twice in one day). With the sandwich and a bottle of Cherry Chipotle ‘Not Ketchup’ in hand I headed to the market for some duck breasts of my own, and Cherry Chipotle Duck Skewers were born. GREG

Expand Recipe…

Cherry Chipotle Duck Breast Skewers 

By: Greg Henry

Print This Recipe Total time 50 minutes Yield 10Published January 18, 2014

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless duck breasts (sliced lengthways into 5 strips)
• ⅓ cup Not Ketchup cherry chipotle dipping sauce (plus more for dipping or drizzling)
• 2 clove garlic (peeled and minced)
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoon cider vinegar (or other mild vinegar)
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper (as needed for seasoning)
• ground coriander (as needed for seasoning)
• vegetable oil (as needed for grill pan)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

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Directions

Place duck pieces into a mixing bowl.

Combine ⅓ cup cherry chipotle sauce, garlic, water, vinegar and red pepper in a separate bowl; stir to combine. Pour the mixture over duck to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, stirring mixture occasionally.

Meanwhile, soak 20 bamboo skewers for at least 20 minutes in cold water to prevent them from burning; drain.

When ready to serve drain the duck, reserving the marinade. Sprinkle duck all over with salt, pepper, and ground coriander. Weave duck strips accordion-style onto each skewer. Brush duck with reserved marinade. Discard remaining marinade.

Heat a lightly oiled grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the skewers until duck is no longer pink, turning halfway through grilling time; about 4 to 7 minutes total (depending on size).

Serve immediately with additional cherry chipotle sauce for dipping or drizzling.