This is one of my favourite salads that I don’t prepare very often. It is probably not an every day salad, however, if you want to indulge yourself or surprise someone, this salad is a wonderful meal. It’s a symphony of sweet-sour and savoury, soft and crunchy, homely and gamey.

Warm Duck Salad

Ingredients:

2 duck fillets, skin scored
1 red capsicum, large
1 golden sweet potato, small
8 asparagus stems
1 fennel bulb, small
100g cauliflower florets 

Dressing:

1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 oranges (small-medium)
1/2 lemon, juiced
a pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper as desired

*Large container with the lid.

Method:

1.    Turn the oven on to 180C (356F). Juice oranges into a small saucepan, add cayenne pepper and bring to boil, reduce the heat and allow the volume to reduce almost by half. Switch off, add garlic and cover.
2. Wash the sweet potato and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Peel and dice sweet potato into 1.5-2cm cubes and season to your taste.
3. Cut the fennel in half and arrange on the baking tray along with the whole capsicum and the sweet potato pieces. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until all soft. When ready, transfer into the container, keep covered.
4. In the meantime, finely dice cauliflower and set aside then cook the duck: score diagonally the duck skin, season and fry over a medium heat on a dry pan first on skin until the most fat is rendered. Turn over and grill for 3 minutes on a stronger heat, then transfer onto the board and cover with a paper towel to rest.
5. Brake up asparagus into 2cm long pieces, discard the unbreakable bottom part and put into the oven for 2 minutes just to soften up. Add asparagus to the container and cover.
6. Slice the baked fennel and return to the container. Remove the capsicum skin and seeds, however break up the skin over the container to save the juices. Coarsely cut, then return to the container, keep covered.
7. Make the dressing: mix the reduced orange juice, lemon juice, seasoning and light olive oil.
8.  Slice the meat diagonally into thick pieces and add to the salad. Dress and mix well. Serve the salad warm and sprinkled with prepared cauliflower.
* You can pour duck fat into the glass jar and keep it in the fridge for months. It’s great for meat loafs.

Copyright © MagicTableCloth