Hi, I’m Divya Gugnani and we’re here at Perilla, the American word for the Shiso leaf. Here, new American cuisine takes on world and ___. So let’s go behind the burner and meet the chef.
We’re here at Perilla with executive chef and owner, Harold Dieterle. Harold, what are we making today?
Harold: It’s all about the duck. It’s all about the duck Divya.
Divya: And what do you love with that duck?
Harold: I just like stuff that has fat on it. We’re going to make spicy duck meatballs out of it. This is kind of just (Your signature dish?) my signature dish here at Perilla so yeah, so we just take some, this is some duck thighs, just keep all the fat on it. And what I’d like to do is I like to freeze it.
Divya: And why do you pick the thigh?
Harold: It’s got the most flavor and most fat. The reason why we freeze it is that we’re going to go grind the meat right now and it makes it easier to go through because it’s something that has… (It grinds a lot better when it’s frozen.) grinds, grinds a lot.
Divya: So the duck is all ground up. What’s special about this duck that you’d like to use? (It’s long Hound.) Our hometown.
Harold: You’re from Long Hound too. That’s right. Naturally raised, organic, hormone free, and it’s just, you know, it’s duck goodness.
Divya: It’s just great quality meat is the way to start a dish. You got to go fresh. You got to go with the best ingredients because the flavor really comes through.
Harold: That’s right. It does. Yes exactly. So we got our ground duck here. Now just like when you’re making any good meatball, put a little onion action in there. Just give it a little smash on the garlic. There are other different ways you could do this. Sweet pie basil ( I love the smell) I’m cutting basil. I have to line them all up.
Divya: Of course. I like roll it so tightly?
Harold: No, no, no. There’s no rolling here. We’re going to show you a different way to do it. (Ah, no rolling.) No rolling, you know when you’re cutting meat? (Yeah.) You always go against the grain. (Of course.) Same concept when you’re cutting herbs. Helps it just get it a nice quainter slice so you see how the veins on the part of the basil (Yeah.) this way, what you’re going to do is you’re going to take a knife, juts put it right in half like that, (Ok.) flip them right on top of each other. You see how they kind of form a leaf, (Yeah, and then you just go down.) then you just go down on it. So my favorite condiment – Sriracha, this comes from, (This is your secret weapon?) this is probably one of my secret weapons in the kitchen. Sriracha you know you kind of just put it on everything.
Divya: And you are not afraid to use it.
That’s why they’re Spicy Duck Meatballs. If there was no lots of Sriracha it wouldn’t be spicy.
Divya: And what have we got here? (Panko.) Of course, and Panko is showing up everywhere on every single menu and it’s everybody’s secret weapon (Everybody likes...) but it’s not a secret anymore.
Harold: It’s not a secret anymore. But everybody likes good Panko.
Divya: Harold, it looks beautiful. I’m ready to eat. What are we eating?
Harold: We’ve got a Spicy Duck Meatballs. We, you know, just grounded some duck, a little garlic and (Duck thighs.) duck thighs and legs, boneless, ground, some onions, some garlic, just minced, caramelize a little bit, Panko bread crumbs, Sriracha sauce, salt and pepper, (Lots of Sriracha sauce.) lots of Sriracha. (I’m about to taste that kick, I think.) I know we’ve got to make it spicy. A little bit of basil, (Thai basil.) that’s right, brown them in the oven a little bit, starting with some minced cavitalia, some morning glory or water spinach, whatever you’d like to call it. (Morning glory.) A little bit of mint, some Guano Padano Parmesano and a beautiful __ on top of your favorite.
Divya: My favorite. I’m about to taste it. The duck is cutting through so easily because it’s very juicy and tender. It’s almost falling apart.
Harold: Pair it up with a little bit of Pinot and then it you’re feeling any better.
Divya: It doesn’t. It’s you know, really tender succulent.
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