Saturday's Kitchen: Gingery Duck with Red Onion and Orange Salad

Like most ex-pats living overseas we tried to embrace the local life. We enjoyed many a cooking show and followed along with their local food celebrities, which is how we came across Nigella Lawson. To be honest, she is everywhere in the UK - a true TV food celebrity and a bit of sex symbol as well! She's slowly trying to make her mark in the US...have you tried any of her recipes?

My experience with Nigella has not always been positive, I've tried loads of her recipes and would only remake a handful - this is one of them.
Her recipes always make for a good read as she definitely enjoys her descriptives!

Ginergy Duck with Red Onion and Orange Salad from her book, Forever Summer.

Ingredients

2 whole duck breasts

for the marinade:

juice and zest of one orange

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

1 small red onion, roughly chopped

for the salad:

2 red onions, very thinly sliced

4 naval oranges

Maldon or other sea salt

small bunch fresh parsley finely chopped

1. Slash the fat on the duck breasts in diagonals, then place in the marinade for about an hour.

2. Peel, halve and thinly slice (half moons) the red onion into a small bowl.  Cut off the top and bottom of the oranges, then, using a small knife remove the skin and pith. Segment the orange over the bowl, to ensure all the juice is retained. Stir to combine and leave at room temperature.

3. Heat a dry frying pan and put the duck in skin side down. Cook for about 15 minutes in total, turning occasionally to color both sides.

4. Leave the duck to rest as you arrange the salad on a plate. Sprinkle with salt. Slice the duck thinly on the diagonal and lay the slices over the salad. Pour over any orangey, gingery, bloody juices and sprinkle robustly with parsley.

Serves 4.

Cooks Note:
This is a nice, lighter take on the classic orange and duck pairing.
Finding fresh duck at my local market was not an easy task - I settled on a pack of frozen duck breasts by Bell and Evans.

Wine Pairing

I always enjoy Pinot Noir with duck and I recently discovered the lovely Duckhorn Decoy Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2008 from California.

On the palett you'll find notes of ripe red-fruit, such as cherry and strawberry, balanced by an exotic spice, and toasty oak.

The Decoy brand prides itself on being the "everyday wine for the well informed" and I think they are right. A great wine at a very reasonable price for a Pinot Noir.

As always, if you try it and like it, please do let me know!

 Until next time,