Duck Salad with Wild Rice
Pair with Archery Summit Estate Pinot Noir
Serves 6-8
For Dressing:
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tsp mild honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature while making rice salad.
For Salad:
2 cups wild rice (10 oz)
3 T unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cups water
3 cups chicken broth
10 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
3 (21 oz) boneless duck breast halves with skin
6 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
1 cup dried marionberries (5 oz) cut into halves
3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted)
1 tsp salt
Rinse rice well in a large medium-mesh sieve under cold water, then drain.
Heat butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally until golden (approx. 5 min). Add rice and cook stirring until fragmented (approx. 3 min). Stir in water and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until rice is tender (approx. 1hr). Drain well in a colander and cool to warm before adding to dressing. (Cook sugar snaps and duck while rice cools.)
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cook sugar snaps in a 4 quart pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender. Drain in sieve and rinse under cold water, then drain well. Pat duck dry and season with salt and pepper. Score skin in a crosshatch pattern and put duck, skin side up, in a lightly oiled shallow baking pan. Roast in middle of oven until a meat thermometer registers 120 F (for medium rare approx. 25 min).
Transfer duck to a cutting board and when just cold enough to handle, remove skin. Thinly slice skin (scored side down), keeping duck breast warm, loosely covered with foil. Bake skin in baking pan in middle of oven until very crisp (approx. 15-20 min), then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Cut duck breast halves in half horizontally, then cut across the grain into thin slices. Add duck with any juices to dressing along with rice, sugar snaps, scallions, marionberries, hazelnuts and salt and toss gently to combine. Just before serving, scatter crisp duck skin on top.
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