Good Eating: Dean Fearing's Fabulous Fowl

Dean Fearing, chef of The Mansion on Turtle Creek, thinks you’re going to flip over these mouth-watering morsels!

• Barbecued Duck Wrapped in Flour Tortillas With Mango Pico De Gallo
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 whole boneless, skinless duck breasts
½ tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup diced onions
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup Mansion Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
4 Flour Tortillas, cooked and warm
½ cup grated jalapeno jack cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Mango Pico de Gallo (recipe follows)
4 fresh serrano chilies
4 sprigs fresh cilantro

Method:
Prepare smoker for hot smoke.
Place breasts on a smoker rack and put in smoker for 15 minutes.  Remove from smoker. 
Preheat oven to 350 .
Place duck breasts in saute pan and place in oven.  Roast duck for 10 minutes or until medium-rare.  Remove from oven and cool.
Using a sharp knife, dice duck breasts into ½ inch pieces.
Place oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  When hot, add onions and saute for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add diced duck and saute for 1 additional minute, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Stir in Mansion Barbecue Sauce and bring to a boil.  Immediately after coming to a boil add cheese and cilantro and then quickly remove from heat, stirring constantly until cheese has incorporated into mixture.

Place a warm tortilla on each of four warm serving plates.  Spoon equal portions of duck mixture into the middle of each tortilla.  Then roll tortilla around filling and center in the middle of the plate.  Spoon Mango Pico de Gallo beside each rolled tortilla and garnish with a chili (to be eaten like a pickle for the adventurous) and cilantro sprig.

• Mansion Barbecue Sauce 
Makes about 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon bacon fat (or vegetable oil)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup ketchup
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
2 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons Creole mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Salt to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Meat drippings from smoker to taste (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat bacon fat in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add onion and cook for 4 minutes or until soft.
Place onion in a small ovenproof pan.  Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over onion.  Cover and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and keep warm until ready to serve.

• Mango Pico De Gallo
Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
½ small red onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

• Chicken Fried Quail on Green Bean And Pecan Ranch Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 whole boneless quail, wings removed
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 cup canola oil
Green Bean and Pecan Salad (recipe follows)

Method:
Cut each quail in half, lengthwise.   Beat eggs in a large bowl and add buttermilk whisking to combine.  Add quail to buttermillk mixture.  Add flour to the large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.  (This is a very important procedure for the perfect seasoning of chicken fried items.)  Place each quail one at a time into the flour mixture pressing gentley on both sides to obtain a thick coat of flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When hot place quail into skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, then turn and cook for an additional 4 minutes (do not let quail overcook; they should be pink in the breast). Place quail on paper towel to drain.

Spoon a portion of Green Bean and Peacn Ranch Salad on each of the four serving plates.   Criss-cross two quail halves over the top of salad.   Serve immediately.

• Green Bean And Pecan Ranch Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 pound thin green beans, trimmed
½ red bell pepper, seeded and membranes removed, cut into thin julienne
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded and membranes removed, cut into thin julienne
2 oz salt-cured country ham, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons pickled red onions
1/4 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Method:
In a large bowl combine the first six ingredients. Add ranch dressing and chives, toss to combine.
Season generously with pepper. Season with salt. Serve immediately.