Tangy Sutti-Frutti Duck Sliders With Wilted Spinach Chokecherry Salad On Open-Face Apple-Slice Buns

Ingredients

• DUCK BURGERS:
• 1/4 Cup golden raisins
• 1/4 Cup finely chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 Cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
• 1/2 Cup Malbec red wine
• 2 Pounds ground duck
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/4 Cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Cup canola oil
• WILTED SPINACH CHOKECHERRY SALAD:
• 4 Tablespoons rendered duck fat
• 6 Cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
• 3/4 Cup wild chokecherry jam (can use sugar-free)
• 3 Tablespoons frozen lemonade, melted
• 1/4 Cup finely diced sweet cherry peppers
• APPLE SLICE BUN BOTTOMS:
• 6 Large Honeycrisp apples, unpeeled and cored.

Instructions

• DIRECTIONS FOR DUCK BURGERS:
• 1.
• Heat grill to medium-high.
• 2.
• Soak the golden raisins, dried apricots, and fresh pineapple in the Malbec wine for 20-minutes.
• 3.
• Add this fruit-and-wine mixture to the ground duck.
• 4.
• Add remaining ingredients (mustard powder, bread crumbs, and salt).
• 5.
• Mix lightly together.
• 6.
• Gently form 18 small patties.
• 7.
• Lightly brush grill rack with canola oil.
• 8.
• Place burgers on rack to start cooking.
• 9.
• Flip over every minute until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
• 10.
• Remove burgers to large plate or pan, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside while making Wilted Spinach Chokecherry Salad.
• WILTED SPINACH CHOKECHERRY SALAD:
• 1.
• Keep grill heated to medium-high.
• 2.
• Melt rendered duck fat in large grill-safe skillet or pan.
• 3.
• Add rest of ingredients (spinach, chokecherry jam, lemonade, and sweet cherry peppers).
• 4.
• Cover skillet or pan with aluminum foil.
• 5.
• Place on grill.
• 6.
• Cook about 10 minutes, until spinach softens.
• 7.
• Stir until well mixed, and set aside.
• APPLE-SLICE BUN BOTTOMS:
• 1.
• Core all six (6) apples.
• Put one (1) apple aside.
• 2.
• On the remaining five (5) apples, lay them on their side, and cut in half through the largest round diameter area.
• 3.
• Take each half, and cut in half again in the same direction.
• 4.
• You will have 20 round apple slice bottoms.
• 5.
• Take the one (1) apple that you set aside, and slice into thin pieces that will fit over the core holes of the 20 apple slices above.
• ASSEMBLY:
• 1.
• Line up the apple round slices.
• 2.
• Plug the cored holes with pieces of the thinly cut-up apple slices.
• 3.
• Place burger atop each apple round.
• 4.
• Place a Tablespoon of Wilted Spinach Chokecherry Salad on top.
• 5.
• Leave open faced and enjoy.