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Smoked Duck Wontons

You’ll ‘wanna ton’ of these tasty morsels

BY BRAD FENSON

Smoked duck is terrific on its own, but add it to some cream cheese and other flavorful ingredients to make wontons, and you’ll have most any hunter’s new favorite hors d’oeuvres or blind snack. I suggest whenever possible to leave the skin and fat on the ducks to increase the wontons’ wonderful flavors and aromas. And smoke some extra: You’ll want leftovers of these.   

SMOKED DUCK INGREDIENTS

  • 4 to 12 boneless duck breasts
  • 1 gallon water
  • ½ cup kosher salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large plastic container, combine the water, salt, and brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add the duck breasts, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours. 
2. Remove the duck from the brine and soak in cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse well with cold water, pat dry with a paper towel, and place on a rack to dry. The surface of the meat will form a shiny pellicle (thin film), indicating that it’s ready for the smoker. 
3. Smoke at 225 degrees for about one hour or until the duck reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

WONTON INGREDIENTS

  • 4 smoked duck breasts, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup water
  • 50 wonton wrappers
  • Vegetable or peanut frying oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a medium frying pan over a low-medium burner. Add the oil and butter, then the sliced onion. Cook until caramelized and golden brown. Set aside to cool, then chop finely.
2. Combine the meat, caramelized onion, cream cheese, parsley, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the egg and water together to make an egg wash.
4. Lay out several wonton wrappers on a dry workspace. Add 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture to the center of the wrapper. Brush the egg wash on two edges of the wrapper and fold it to the corner without the egg wash to form a triangle. Press gently to seal the wonton.
5. Place folded wonton on a dry plate or baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap to avoid drying out. You are now ready to fry them! (Optional: Freeze uncooked wontons on a baking sheet; once frozen, store in a sealable bag to fry later.)
6. Add 1 inch of cooking oil to a wok or cast-iron frying pan. Heat the oil over a medium-high burner. Add a few wontons at a time to the oil, slowly enough to maintain heat. Turn the wontons once or twice until they are golden brown. Remove each wonton from the oil and place on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
7. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

 

Recipe originally published in Delta Waterfowl's Hunt Annual 2025 magazine. 

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