I made these spring rolls back in May with leftover roast duck that my husband ordered for Mother’s Day. I held back on posting the recipe because I was (still am) unhappy with the lighting of the photos. Been meaning to make the spring rolls again and take new photos but I have this on-and-off allergy that has kept poultry and fowl, and their eggs, off the dinner table.
So, until such time that I can enjoy duck again, here’s my cheesy roast ruck chili spring rolls from May of 2023. It’s a leftover dish. There wasn’t enough duck meat to turn into a main course but there was more than enough to make a snack.
Duck and cheese filling
Does it have to be duck meat? That was the leftover I was trying to make use of in the best possible way. If you’re wondering if leftover roast pork, beef or chicken can be substituted, the answer is yes. Your spring rolls will likely taste different and the filling will roll differently on your tongue but I’ll still go out on a limb and say any roast meat should be good.
The chilled duck meat was hand chopped into small pieces (not into smithereens) then tossed with chopped onion and onion leaves. Then, shredded cheese was stirred in. That’s the filling. So salt and pepper? I’d say they’re optional It depends on how well seasoned the duck meat is and how salty your chosen cheese variety is.
Prepping and stuffing the chilies
Now, about the finger chilies? What the heck are finger chilies? You know, in the Philippines, chilies generally go by two labels — haba and labuyo. “Haba” means elongated and they refer to green chilies as long as a human forefinger. “Labuyo” is the generic term for small red chilies which may or may not be bird’s eye chilies.
It’s confusing, I know. But here’s the thing — finger chilies are usually mild enough to be eaten whole. That’s why there’s perfect for this dish. They’re large enough to be easily stuffed but they don’t pack so much heat that you won’t be able to appreciate the filling and the crunch.
Still, if you want to tone down the heat some more, slit the chilies and scrape off the seeds and pith. That’s where most of the heat is concentrated. Then, you stuff the chilies with the duck and cheese mixture.
Wrapping the chilies
Now, wrap the stuffed chilies. My daughter, Alex, did the wrapping and she opted to expose the stem of the chilies. What for? Well, this is a food blog. It’s for better visual appeal.
Frying the spring rolls
The last step is frying. Remember that the filling is duck and cheese. No need for prolonged frying because the duck meat is already fully cooked and cheese will melt and find a way to ooze out of the wrapper if allowed to stay in the hot oil longer than necessary.
Cheesy roast duck chili spring rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chopped roast duck
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion leaves or use scallions
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese we used Colby Jack
- seasonings if needed
- 12 finger chilies
- 12 spring roll wrappers separated
- cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- Toss together the duck, onion, onion leaves and cheese. Taste and add your choice of seasoning, as needed.
- Slit each finger chili to form a pocket. Optionally, scrape off the discard the seeds and pith inside.
- Stuff each slit chili with the duck and cheese mixture.
- Wrap each stuffed chili in spring roll wrapper. Wet the edges with water to seal.
- Heat enough cooking oil in a frying pan to reach a depth of at least two inches.
- Fry the stuffed chili spring rolls, in batches if your pan is rather small, until the wrappers are golden and crisp.