Here’s my take on a Warm Duck Salad, and this really isn’t difficult and looks amazing on a large white plate or bowl.
In this version your bulk is made up of new potatoes, cut to bite size and par boiled. Drain and tip into a heated baking tray with some olive oil and start to bake off in a hot oven.
What comes next is up to you. Just add to the potatoes in the order in which they cook the slowest. I have used sliced onion, sliced peppers, quartered mushrooms, chopped bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, chunks of ciabatta and cubes of a feta type cheese. After 30-40 minutes when everything is cooking nicely, crack on with the rest.
Hard boil some eggs. Have some asparagus spears cut in two, ready in a pan of shallow salted water to cook.
Allow one duck breast portion person. Lidl sell Gressingham breast portions in a 250g twin packs for just over £3 but for the larger appetite you may want to buy bigger and will find 400g twin packs closer to a fiver.
Duck is dead easy to cook. Season with salt and pepper and score the skin with a sharp knife. Start skin side down in a hot pan or griddle pan and cook without moving it around for 6-7 minutes. Turn the duck over and cook the pink side for just one minute. Move the duck into a roasting tin or over dish and pop in the bottom of the oven for ten minutes.
Plates warming. Remove duck from the oven and leave to rest on the top of the oven for five minutes. Bring asparagus to the boil and cook for just a couple of minutes.
On a clean board and with a sharp knife (serrated works best) slice each duck portion at a slight angle. Don’t rush this as you want it to look good and you’ll have 7-8 slices of meat from each breast.
Plate up your roasted vegetables and make sure you share the colours and textures between all plates. Arrange slices of the duck on top and lay asparagus and quartered boiled egg randomly on and around the dish. I have finished mine with a squirt of balsamic dressing and chopped coriander leaves. Voila! Warm Duck Salad.
Duck is a bit like steak in the sense that it is a bit of a treat, but in a fancy pub that thinks it’s a restaurant this would easily set you back £15 a head. At home for yourselves or a dinner party at £4/5 a head this is an amazing plate of food!
https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/index.htm
https://www.gressinghamduck.co.uk
Cheaper everyday versions and equally as delicious – instead of duck use chicken breast, or even chunks of sausages, or try sliced avocado and blue cheese.
