Many Flavor Duck Salad Recipes

WARM DUCK SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the duck breasts on a sheet pan, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and roast for about 20 minutes, until medium-rare. Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the fat and skin on top (unless you're making cracklings), slice the duck, and then cut the slices crosswise into julienned pieces.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar, orange zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.
• For the salad, trim the bottom half-inch from the endive and cut them diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Separate the leaves and discard the cores. Place the slices in a large salad bowl. Add the mache leaves, oranges, raspberries, and toasted pecans. Toss with enough dressing to moisten. Gently toss in the warm duck meat and serve immediately.

CRISPY DUCK SALAD WITH GREEN BEANS AND HONEYED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook honey and salt until thin and runny, then mix in almonds until coated. Add sugar and toss to coat. Spread nuts on baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and bake, stirring once, until deeply golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let nuts cool, then break up clumps with your fingers.
• In a medium pot on medium-high heat, bring six cups salted water to boil. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Cook green beans until bright green and tender, 2 to 4 minutes depending on thickness of beans. Drain, then plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.
• Raise oven heat to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife, score duck fat into a crosshatch pattern, with cuts a half-inch apart. You want to cut through fat but not into flesh of duck.
• In a small bowl, mix salt, chili, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Rub mix all over duck, working it into the fat.
• Set an ovenproof pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil, heat for a few seconds, then add duck, fat side down. Sear without moving until dark brown, about 10 minutes (if it starts to burn, lower the heat). Flip duck and cook for 1 minute, then transfer pan to oven and roast until meat is done to taste, 4 to 8 minutes longer for medium rare (130 degrees). Let duck rest on a cutting board. Reserve 2 tablespoons of fat from pan.
• Using mortar and pestle or side of a heavy knife, make a paste from garlic and a pinch of salt. In a small bowl, mix it with lime juice and a half-teaspoon salt, then drizzle in remaining olive oil, whisking well.
• In a large bowl, toss green beans and watercress with reserved pan drippings and just enough of dressing to coat. Taste and add salt if desired.
• Slice duck breasts and toss with salad. Garnish with almonds and serve.

MANY-FLAVOR DUCK SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the ducks one at a time in the sauce. Remove and let cool. Cut the ducks into quarters and pull the bones from the meat. Cut away and discard the skin and any fat. At this point, the ducks may be prepared a day or longer in advance. If it is not to be used immediately, wrap the pieces in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze. Cut the meat when it is at room temperature or defrosted or pull it into one-inch-wide shreds.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the pine nuts in an ovenproof skillet and toss them in one-half teaspoon of the corn oil. Place in the oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
• Put the nuts in a large mixing bowl and add the duck, shredded green peppers and cabbage.
• Put the remaining three-quarter cup of corn oil in a saucepan and add the chopped scallions, ginger, peppercorns, pepper and chili peppers.
• Combine the dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, garlic and chili paste with garlic in a small bowl.
• Bring the corn-oil mixture to the simmer and let cook one minute, no longer. Add the soy-sauce mixture and stir. Remove from the heat. Pour this simmering liquid over the salad. Toss, blending well, and serve immediately.