Crunchy munchy duck salad with mango ginger and pomegranate sauces
Binging with Babish · ♥ 7.7K likes · 246.3K views · 16 min video
Read about breast in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- duck
Score the duck skin in a crosshatch, shallow diagonal cuts about one centimeter apart, without cutting through to the meat.
- kosher salt
Season both sides generously with kosher salt, set skin side up on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and dry brine uncovered in the fridge at least one and up to four days.
- 1 whole red onion
- mustard seeds
Slice the red onion into rounds on a mandolin and separate the rings; add mustard seeds.
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup ice
Build the brine from red wine vinegar, water, sugar and kosher salt, bringing it not quite to a simmer until everything dissolves, then chill and dilute with the ice.
Submerge the onions completely in the pickling liquid and refrigerate at least overnight and up to one week.
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 whole shallot
- ½ whole Fresno chili
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1–2 cm lemongrass
- 1 cup mango nectar
For the mango ginger sauce, combine the chicken stock, shallot, Fresno chili, garlic, ground ginger, lemongrass, mango nectar, white wine vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan.
- white wine vinegar
- 1–2 tbsp brown sugar
Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes to let the flavours soften and meld, then season to taste with kosher salt.
- ¾ tsp xanthan gum
Blitz in a blender on high until completely smooth, then with the blender running add xanthan gum a quarter teaspoon at a time until the sauce coats the back of a spoon; chill until needed.
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
For the red sauce do the same with pomegranate juice, chicken stock, honey, white pepper, ground coriander and a splash of white wine vinegar: simmer, blend, thicken and chill.
Pomegranate sauce and lime dressing
- 1 whole lime
- crystallized ginger
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- butterleaf lettuce
For the dressing combine lime juice, crystallized ginger, olive oil, microplaned garlic, kosher salt, black pepper and honey and whisk or shake into a thick creamy dressing; it can be made the day before.
- red lettuce
- dandelion greens
- mustard greens
- tri-colored carrot curls
Build the salad from butterleaf lettuce, red lettuce, dandelion greens, mustard greens, shaved carrot curls, the pickled red onions and finely chopped crystallized ginger.
The salad greens
Place the duck skin side down in a cold, un-lubricated stainless steel pan, weighed down for even contact, turn the heat all the way down to low and rotate frequently, rendering the fat for five minutes with no crackling or hissing.
Increase the heat slightly to maintain a gentle bubble and keep that cadence 10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp.
Flip, season with flaky finishing salt and cook a further five minutes until the thickest part registers 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
- cashews
Toast the cashews in the reserved duck fat over medium heat two to three minutes until lightly browned and crisp, then drain on paper towels.
Dress and toss the salad, pile it on one side of a large white plate and top with the duck fat fried cashews.
Carve the duck into bite-sized pieces, lean the best slices into a row in the centre and top with a little more candied ginger.