Mimicking Food Trucks #1: "Duck" Taco

Although I don't really like television--if bored and presented the opportunity--I do enjoy watching cartoons, international news programs, 'nature' documentaries voiced by Attenborough, and the Cooking Channel.

The latter has a show called "Eat St," which documents the ventures of various participants in the food truck revolution/trend going on right now. On one show, a taco truck stationed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana named "Taco de Paco" was examined, and showcased a duck taco called "the Emilio."

From my notes on the episode (and inability to find the clip online), I will provide as close to a description of it as I can, without having tasted it myself: It is a sweet and savory taco made of roasted duck, homemade spicy peach preserves, sweet potatoes, and fried duck skin for crunch. Confirming this, PetitChef  provides a picture of the original and describes it as such: "The Emilio: Roasted Duck glazed with Louisiana Sugar Cane, topped with Sweet Potato Hash, and finished off with homemade Peach Preserves."

I assume it can/could still be purchased from the Taco de Paco food truck in Baton Rouge, LA, if you are into eating birds, their skin, and are in the vicinity.

Since I meet none of those qualifications, I have taken matters into my own hands to veganize this interesting confection, using a can of braised seitan ("mock duck") obtained from an Asian grocer to replace the bird, and baked tortilla strips to replace the fried duck skin. (Aside: In hindsight, I have decided that those thin, deep fat fried strips of wonton wrappers that fast food Chinese restaurants give to customers for their soup would be better for replacing the fried skin. Or, maybe some sort of health food chips, like those rice chips, or better, the ones made from sweet potatoes--so as to keep with the original’s ingredients. The only problem with the latter, of course, is that jagged chip bits might stab your mouth as you chew.)

The following is sort of a recipe, but more so a general guide about how one might go about creating something similar to "the Emilio."

1. Rinse and drain a 10 oz can of mock duck. You may want to cut up its contents into bite-sized hunks. Then, to achieve a sweet and savory taste, rub the pieces w/ paprika (1/2 teaspoon) & a little cayenne + sweet cane syrup or some other liquid sweetner (1 teaspoon, plus maybe another 1/2 teaspoon for good measure)
1.  Allow to marinate
2. Roast it in the oven or blacken it in a hot skillet
2. Obtain spicy peach preserves
1. Foremost, you could purchase it from somewhere; Blue Ridge Jams, for example. But, otherwise, add hot sauce and/or chili flakes to regular peach preserves (or apricot jam/preserves) and allow it to sit for at least ten minutes so the ingredients can mingle. You could even mix in some hot pepper jelly, if you have some on hand.
3. Find something crunchy to replace the fried duck skin: Fried tortilla strips? Crumbled vegetable chips from the health food aisle? Fried wonton strips? Your choice.
4. Cut sweet potatoes into either hunks or long strips, coat with a light tasting oil (such as canola), perhaps sprinkle with S&P, then bake until tender.
5. Chop green onions and cilantro for garnishing.
6. Wrap up all the components in the tortilla, then toast the burrito in a  frying pan or put it in a hot oven
1. Tips for burrito folding
7. Taste. Unwrap & adjust components' amounts to suit your preference.

Version with crushed sweet potato chips.

This shit right here, this shit right here, mofo: it'll make you cry! Because this shit right here will remind yo ass of the fleeting moments of beauty in this ugly-ass world......Yeah, I don't know where that came from. I've been clicking and smiling through Thug Kitchen lately.