WARM DUCK SALAD WITH GRILLED PEAR, WALNUTS & RED WINE VINAIGRETTE
Indulge in a salad that feels truly special! Seared duck with a crispy golden skin melts in your mouth. Sweet grilled pears and crunchy walnuts balance the richness, while a vibrant red wine vinaigrette adds a touch of tang. Perfect for a light dinner or as an impressive starter.
Ingredients
- 4 duck breasts
- 2 pears halved, cored and cut into wedges
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp aged red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 80 g walnuts, toasted
- 200 g rocket leaves
Instructions
- Pat the duck skin dry with an absorbent kitchen towel. Score duck fat in lines or criss-cross gently (you’ll need a sharp knife) without cutting into meat underneath. Season the breasts with sea salt and bring to room temperature.
- Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat (you won’t need oil). Once at temperature place the duck breasts, skin side down and cook for a few minutes to render the duck fat (this means that the duck fat will partially melt and the duck will start frying in its own fat). If there is an excess of fat, tilt the pan towards you and spoon it off (you can save this fat for future use). You’ll notice the duck breast will reduce in length and swell in thickness – this is normal. When crisp on skin side, turn over and seal the underside for another few minutes.
- Turn again and continue turning and cooking until the skin is golden brown and, when pressed, the meat feels firm and springy – approximately 10-12 minutes in total (this recipe calls for the duck to be medium-rare, however I prefer it to be lightly pink so cooked it a little longer).
- Remove the duck breasts from the pan, place onto a warm resting plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, during which time the juices will settle. If, when you come to slice your duck and find it under-cooked, place it in the oven at 220ºC (428F) to finish cooking then leave to rest again afterwards.
- In the meantime grill the pear wedges on a preheated, oiled grill plate. Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes and then turn over to cook evenly on the remaining side. Remove from heat.
- For the vinaigrette: Place the Red Wine Vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl with the mustard and whisk, until emulsified. Season with sea salt to taste.
- Assembly: Combine walnuts, rocket leaves, grilled pear and sliced duck breast in a bowl and toss through with just enough red wine vinaigrette to finely coat the salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 620kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 48gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 145mgPotassium: 801mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 11mg
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