Duck a l’Orange Salad
Duck a l’Orange Salad was inspired by the French classic Duck a l’Orange, a dish that has long been a symbol of French culinary excellence, and made famous in America by Julia Child in the early 60’s.
When I first tried Duck a l’orange in my 20’s, it was super sweet and gloopy- not very nice at all and a far cry from the original classic. In fact, I never thought about trying it even during my early travels to France when I first began to explore food.
A few years ago, during the Pandemic lockdown, I got the idea to create a classic meal delivery service, which I called The Restaurant without Walls- restaurant quality food delivered to your home. We decided to include a classic Duck a l’Orange on the menu. After we had perfected the recipe [I am still working on scaling that recipe down to 4-6 servings – watch this space], I had a call from one of our corporate clients who regularly ordered home delivery from us during lockdown. She was booking a summer soiree and fancied an elegant menu for her guests.
One of the stars of that show, was this Duck a l’orange salad. Frankly, a very grown-up salad, classic and elegant. The duck breast is cooked to perfection- medium/rare, its rich, flavorful meat complemented by the tangy sweetness of orange. Enhancing the duck’s savory profile, we incorporated a variety of fresh, colorful, Superfood ingredients. Orange segments, thinly sliced red onion for a sharp, aromatic bite, and pomegranate seeds for a jewel-like appearance and a sweet-tart contrast that dances on the palate.
We added Fennel, with its subtle anise flavor, which brought a unique depth to the salad, perfectly balancing the richness of the duck. Mange tout, or snow peas, contributed a satisfying crunch and a hint of sweetness, adding to the textural experience.
For the base, we used a nutritious blend of red rice and quinoa. This combination not only provides a hearty, wholesome foundation but also adds a delightful nutty flavor and a pleasing chewiness. It’s a modern twist that complements the traditional elements of the dish, ensuring that each bite is as satisfying as it is delicious.
To complete our Duck a l’Orange Salad, we crumbled creamy goat cheese over the top. Its tangy, earthy flavor melds beautifully with the other ingredients, adding a layer of richness that really ties the salad together.
We hope you enjoy this as much as we do.
Duck a l'Orange Salad
Equipment
- Electronic digital scales
- Large, heavy bottomed fry pan
Ingredients
- 2 Duck Breasts (skin on) between 180 - 210 grams [ Room Temperature] {6 3/4 to 7 ounces}
- Mixed leaves (Watercress, Spinach, Roquette [baby arugula] & Butter leaf lettuce ) + torn fresh mint leaves, optional
- 1 large Orange
- 1 Small Red Onion
- 40 - 50 Grams Pomegranate Seeds 3 - 4 tablespoons
- 1 Small Fennel Bulb
- Mange Tout
- 40 Grams Dry, Red Rice just under 3 tablespoons dry rice
- 25 - 30 Grams Dry, Quinoa 3 tablespoons
- 50 Grams Goats Cheese just under 2 ounces
- Hazelnuts, raw a couple of handfuls
For the Mint & Orange Dressing
- 100 ml Plain Yoghurt 3 1/2 ounces
- 25 ml Orange Juice just under 2 tablespoons
- 1 Gram Fresh Mint leaves, minced a handful or to taste
- Dash Cider Vinegar
- To Taste Salt & White pepper
Instructions
- Gather and weigh your ingredients
- Put the oven on 220C/ 430F and place the rack in the middle
- Cooking the Duck
- 1. Score the skin of the duck breast with a sharp knife and season with salt2. Place the breast skin-side down in a cold non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat3. As the fat is released, tilt the pan towards you and use a spoon to remove the liquid [Note 1]4. Cook the duck breast for approximately 6 minutes then turn it over and continue to cook for 4 minutes5. Using tongs, turn the breast on its sides to evenly sear the meat on all surfaces then remove the breast from the pan. If the duck is not fully cooked at this point, finish the cooking in an oven pre-heated to 220ºC/gas mark 76. Allow the duck breast to rest for 10 minutes before serving
- To make the dressing
- Whiz all ingredients in a food processor until incorporated, or place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk until the yoghurt is smooth and the ingredients are all incorporated. [this will keep in the fridge, covered for a week]. It's nice to make this the day before, which gives the flavours time to mature.
- Prepping the Salad
- Cook the red rice in a small saucepan following packet instructions. Refresh and set aside
- In a separate saucepan, prepare the quinoa following packet instructions. Refresh and set aside
- If you are using raw hazelnuts, crush and toast them. Heat a small, heavy bottomed dry fry pan over medium high heat. Add the crushed nuts and toast over the heat for several minutes, stirring the nuts or shaking the pan until golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- If you are using a whole Pomegranate, break it open, remove and clean the seeds. Measure out your portion and put the remaining seeds in the fridge for another use.
- Wash the Leaves and remove excess water [I use a salad spinner]
- Cut the Fennel bulb into matchsticks and save the remaining bulb for another use
- I use 6 mange tout on every salad. You can either use it raw, or "flash" it in boiling water for between 30 seconds and 1 minute - remove, drain and refresh
- With a sharp knife, remove the skin and pith of half the orange. Cut the flesh into segments about 2cm [about 1 inch]
- Remove the skin from the Red Onion and slice very thinly- depending on the size of the onion and your personal taste, you may not use the whole onion.
- Remove the rind from the Goats Cheese and cut into 1-2 cm pieces. [1/2 to 1 inch]
- When the Duck is cool enough to handle, remove the skin [my husband loves to eat this crackling] and cut into approximately 6, 1- 1.5cm slices [1/2 - 3/4 inch]
- Now you are ready to assemble. I start with some leaves on the plate, and sprinkle on some red rice, then quinoa, onion, pomegranate, orange etc. and keep layering up, finishing with the sliced Duck Breast [ I like it to still be slightly warm, but it is equally good at room temperature - trust me, I've eaten it cold straight out of the fridge for Breakfast!] and torn mint leaves, nuts and goats cheese. Serve the dressing on the side.
