Smoked duck-breast salad with green beans & peanuts
SERVES 4 - 6 / PREPARATION 30 MINUTES PLUS CURING AND DRYING TIME OVERNIGHT / COOKING 20 MINUTES
Food that can be served either cold or warm is always a good thing in my opinion. This salad can do either – the duck is lusciously rich when served warm, while the smokiness comes to the fore when cold. This is a brilliant one for a party and while duck is expensive, a little goes a long way here. It’s a good dish to do ahead.
50g coarse sea salt
50g brown sugar
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds,
toasted and ground
¼ teaspoon five spice powder
2 duck breasts, trimmed and skin scored a couple of small handfuls of
wood chips (I used manuka)
Combine the salt, sugar, coriander and five spice powder and put half into a baking dish. Place the duck on top of the mix, then sprinkle over the rest of the mix. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours to cure.
Rinse off the curing mix and dry with paper towels. Put the duck breasts on a plate skin-side up and put into the fridge uncovered for at least 6 hours to dry out (although I often leave them overnight).
Put the duck into a cold pan skin side down and fry for 6-7 minutes on a medium-low heat, draining off the fat as you go (watch out though as the residual sugar in the cure tends to make the skin brown quickly). Remove and put on a rack that fits in a wok (if you have a smoke box then use that instead). Line the wok with foil, add the wood chips, put in the rack holding the duck, cover with foil and smoke over a very low heat for 8-10 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or cold.
FOR THE DRESSING
3 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 red chilli, finely chopped 2 teaspoons palm or brown sugar 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
FOR THE SALAD
500g green beans, trimmed 200g snow peas or sugar snaps, trimmed 3 spring onions, finely sliced 3 tablespoons pickled ginger, shredded ½ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped ½ cup toasted peanuts, chopped
Blanch the green beans in boiling, salted water for 4-5 minutes until tender, then drain. Blanch the snow peas in boiling, salted water for 30 seconds, then drain. If you are planning on eating the warm salad straight away, add the dressing when the veges come out of the blanching water, but be warned the vibrant greens will wilt quickly once the dressing is added. If preparing ahead, refresh the veges in cold water once blanched.
When ready to serve, combine the beans and peas in a bowl with the dressing, spring onions, pickled ginger and half the coriander.
Put onto a serving platter, thinly slice the duck and add to the salad topping with the peanuts. Garnish with the remaining coriander.