After USA TODAY named The Fortunate Glass one of its 38 USA TODAY Bars of the Year for 2026, we knew we'd want to celebrate with a cocktail.
So we asked for a recipe.
Since the bar features more than 400 bottles of wine — rather than an extensive cocktail list — chef Elias Wains thought he'd share one of his best bar bites instead. We couldn't be more delighted.
Buy the Book! The The Fortunately Glass featured in 'Shake & Sip: Recipes from America's Best Bars'
We recommend pairing a pinot noir or a spicy syrah.
Duck Sliders
Chef Elias Wains spends his evenings crafting beautiful charcuterie platters and eclectic small bites that are designed to pair with wine and craft beer. He said these sliders are one of the most popular dishes at the bar and go well with drinks
because they are salty, rich and full of umami — a great, elevated bar bite.
1/4 pound of duck confit, diced
2 tablespoons cooked, diced bacon
1 tablespoon minced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teasoon paprika
1-2 teaspoons soy sauce
2-3 ounces of mild shredded cheese like provolone or muenster
3 tablespoons red wine
4 milk buns or Hawaiian rolls
Pickles, Thousand Island dressing and sriracha for serving
In a bowl, mix all above ingredients together the duck, bacon, onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper and paprika. Portion into 4 equal balls and compress down to form patties. In a pan over medium heat, sear the patties on both sides with a splash of soy sauce on each.
In the pan, top each patty with a loose handful of the cheese and melt. Add the red wine to the pan and let reduce until dry while the patties finish cooking. Set aside.
Toast the buns and place a patty on each, and top with dressing and hot sauce. Serve with your favorite pickles on the side.
Yield: 4 Sliders
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Make the popular Fortunate Glass duck sliders at home with this recipe
