Duck And Shiitake Lettuce Wrap With Cashew Sauce

July 24, 2013

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DUCK AND SHIITAKE LETTUCE WRAP WITH CASHEW SAUCE
Author: 
Recipe type: Lunch
Serves: 2
 
You could use chicken if you weren’t able to get duck. You can also add bulk by using more vegetables — like car¬rot or water chestnut — to the filling.
Ingredients
  • 1 duck leg
  • 1 tablespoon Szechwan peppercorns, cracked (you can also use black pepper)
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • ½ cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • ½ shallot, minced
  • 1 chile pepper, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 ounce rice stick noodles, soaked according to the directions on the package
  • 1 head Boston or bibb lettuce
  • 1 recipe cashew sauce (see below)
  • CASHEW SAUCE
  • ¼ cup raw cashews
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 2 teaspoons wheat-free tamari
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • pinch crushed red pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix together the salt and cracked pepper and rub it into the duck leg. Set an oven-proof pan over a burner set to high. Once the pan is warm, add the duck leg skin-side down. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the skin has crisped up. Flip it over so the skin is on top and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until duck is cooked through. Remove the duck from the pot and place on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Chop the meat into small pieces, or shred with two forks. Discard all but 1 tablespoons of duck fat from the bottom of the pot. Put the pot with the duck fat on a burner set to medium.
  2. Add the shallot, mushrooms, and chile pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the shallot and mushrooms are soft. Remove from heat and mix in the noodles, duck, and 2 tablespoons cashew sauce.
  3. Serve in lettuce leaves and use the remaining sauce for dipping.
  4. CASHEW SAUCE
  5. Place the cashews in a food processor or blender and blend until a smooth paste is formed (this will take 2-3 minutes). Combine the cashew paste with the remaining ingredients and mix until you get a smooth sauce.