Wok-Seared Duck Salad

Wok-Seared Duck Salad
4.3 from 3 ratings
Thai food is really stepping out there for me, especially because I'm sick of my hamburgers-every-night-for-dinner routine. This was the first time I had ever tried duck, and I have to say it was amazing.    Recipe from Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders by Emeril Lagasse.
Servings
4
servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoon uncooked jasmine rice
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh red thai bird chile
  • 1 1/2 pound domestic duck breasts
  • 1/3 cup minced shallot
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 medium head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 cup julienned red bell pepper
Directions
  1. Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add the rice. Toast the rice, shaking the wok constantly, until all of the grains have turned golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the rice to a mortar and set aside to cool. Once the rice has cooled, grind it using a pestle until it reaches a sandy consistency. Alternatively, grind the toasted rice in a clean spice grinder. Place the rice in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Place the chile in the wok over medium-high heat and cook, shaking the wok, until lightly colored and fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Remove the chile from the pan and add to the bowl with the rice.
  3. Using a paring knife, score the fatty side of the duck breasts by making shallow cuts in a diamond pattern; this allows the fat to render more easily. Place the duck breasts in the wok, fatty side down, and cook over medium heat until the skin is golden brown and slightly crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the duck breasts to a cutting board, slice them into thin strips, and return the strips to the wok. Add the shallot and ginger and stir-fry over medium-high heat until the duck is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the duck from the wok to the bowl with the rice and chile and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, orange juice, and sugar and mix well. Pour the mixture over the duck and toss until well coated. Add the cilantro, mint, basil, lettuce, bean sprouts, and julienned red pepper and toss to combine. Serve the salad immediately.