Duck Salad With LycheeThe combination of duckand lychee fruit is awesome because the sweetness and the acidity of lycheepair perfectly with the richness of duck. Lychee fruit is available all year incans, but there are certain places where you can get it fresh. I prefer cannedlychee for this recipe. This is also a good recipe to utilize leftover Chineseroast duck. Pull the meat apart from the carcass and use it to make this salad.
¼cup30 g thinly sliced red onion (halved then sliced with the grain, also known as Lyonnaise)
½cup105 g lychee, drained
½English cucumberhalved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick on the bias
1cup92 g mint leaves (leaves picked from the stems)
3½cups150 g romaine hearts, sliced 1 inch (3 cm) wide on the bias
¼cup4 g cilantro leaves
3scallionsthinly sliced on the bias
¼cup20 g store-bought fried shallots
Instructies
To make the duck, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Pat each duck breast dry with paper towels.
Season the duck on all sides with salt, pepper and five-spice powder.
Score the fat on top of the duck in a crosshatch pattern, being careful to score only the fat and not the flesh.
Set an ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Immediately place the duck, skin-side down, into the cold pan.
After a few minutes, the fat from the skin will start to render out.
Periodically drain the excess fat into a small, heatproof bowl to save it.
After 10 to 12 minutes, the skin should be golden brown and crispy, while the meat will still be uncooked.
After the skin reaches a golden brown, flip the duck breasts over, skin-side up.
Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 132°F (56°C).
Let the duck breasts rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice the duck on an angle into thin tiles and reserve for the salad.
To make the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until the chili paste and sugar dissolve completely into the dressing.
Set aside until ready to serve.
To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, combine the dressing and all the salad ingredients except for cilantro, scallions and fried shallots.
Toss to coat well.
Taste and adjust any of the seasonings if you’d like.
Plate the salad, arrange the sliced duck on top and garnish with cilantro, scallions and fried shallots.