WINE & FOOD AFFAIR RECIPES

Appetizers


Duck Meatballs with Winter Spices and Black Currant Chutney

Longboard Vineyards

5 Fitch Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
longboardvineyards.com

These duck meatballs are the perfect party appetizer to serve with Longboard Vineyards Syrah. Keep them warm in a crock pot all evening at your next gathering. They're fun to serve on skewers with olives or alongside an arugula, fennel, citrus and pine nut salad.

Duck Meatballs

Ingredients:
  • 6 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
  • Milk as needed
  • 5 pounds ground duck
  • 2 large white onions, diced
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 8 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) as needed
  • Vegetable oil as needed
  • Chicken stock as needed
Directions:
To prepare the duck meatballs, preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, combine the bread with enough milk to moisten but not drown the bread. 

In a large bowl, combine the duck, onions, garlic, mustard, egg yolks, herbes de Provence, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix thoroughly, adding the milk-soaked bread. Add just enough panko to bring together the meat and form into balls. Don't add too much panko or the meatballs will be tough.

In a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, warm some vegetable oil. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook, turning as needed, until browned. Return all the meatballs to the pan and add enough chicken stock to cover the meatballs about halfway.

Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the meatballs are done, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meatballs rest for about 15 minutes before serving.

Black Currant Chutney

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups dried black currants
  • 1/2 cup diced shallots
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups sherry vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
To prepare the black currant chutney, in a large saucepan over high heat, combine the currants, shallots, brown sugar, vinegar and water, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the currants are soft and the liquid is syrupy.

Transfer the currant mixture to a food processor and pulse until a chunky consistency is reached.  

Serve the meatballs with the black currant chutney and a glass of Longboard Syrah.