Rendering the duck fat over low heat is the best way to ensure crisp skin; just let it happen slowly while you prepare the rest of the meal...
Rendering the duck fat over low heat is the best way to ensure crisp skin; just let it happen slowly while you prepare the rest of the meal. If you’re after something a little more substantial, roasted carrots will add more heft to the salad.
Orange, chickpea and crisp-skinned duck salad with mint ingredients
- 4 duck breasts (about 220gm each), skin scored
- 4 oranges, segmented and juice reserved, plus orange wedges to serve
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ radicchio, coarsely torn
- 600 gm canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (loosely packed) mint
- Thinly sliced red birdseye chilli (optional), to serve
Orange, chickpea and crisp-skinned duck salad with mint preparation
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add duck breasts skin-side down, immediately reduce heat to low and cook, draining rendered fat every few minutes, until skin is golden and crisp (15 minutes).
- Remove from pan, increase heat to high, then return duck to pan flesh side-down and cook until golden and mediumrare (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with reserved orange juice (about 100ml) and simmer until reduced by half (1-2 minutes), then whisk in oil, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice and season to taste.
- Thickly slice duck breasts and add to a large bowl with orange segments, onion, radicchio, chickpeas and mint. Drizzle with a little orange dressing, season to taste, toss to combine and serve with chilli, orange wedges and extra dressing.
