Grilled Duck Legs With Frisee Salad Recipes

SESAME-GLAZED DUCK LEGS WITH SPICY PERSIMMON SALAD

Steps:

• Make Sichuan pepper salt: Put Sichuan peppercorns and salt in a dry small skillet over medium-high heat. Shaking the pan and stirring frequently, toast mixture until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then grind coarsely with a mortar and pestle or spice mill.
• Season duck legs all over with Sichuan pepper salt, then wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Set up a steamer: Fill a large pot halfway with water and set a steamer basket 2 inches above the water. Place crushed cinnamon and star anise on the bottom of steamer basket, then lay seasoned duck legs on top.
• Cover with a lid and bring water to a hard boil over high heat. Reduce heat slightly to maintain a brisker simmer. (Check water level occasionally and add more boiling water as necessary.) Steam legs until tender when pierced with a thin-bladed knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes; start checking at 1 hour. Remove legs and set aside. (They may be left at room temperature for an hour or so before roasting, or you can steam the legs up to 6 hours before roasting and refrigerate, covered. Re-steam the refrigerated legs for 15 minutes to soften before proceeding.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put legs on a rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet and roast uncovered for about 30 minutes, until skin begins to crisp.
• As legs roast, make the glaze: Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, bean paste, brown sugar and orange juice. Once the legs have been in the oven for 30 minutes, brush them generously with glaze and roast for 30 minutes more (for a total cooking time of 1 hour), brushing them again every 10 minutes. Transfer legs to a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Make the salad: Put persimmons, oranges, daikon, chiles, lime juice, ginger and sesame oil in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to coat. Transfer salad to platter with duck legs. Drizzle with any remaining juices from bowl. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, scallions and cilantro sprigs.

WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH HONEY GLAZED DUCK BREAST, LARDONS, AND FRISEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Score the skin side of the duck breasts on the diagonal in both directions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a pastry brush, brush the breasts with honey. Transfer to a hot saute pan with 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pan sear the duck breasts skin-side down until golden. Place the duck, skin-side-up in the pan in the oven and cook until rare, about 7 minutes. Slice the duck and fan around the bottom of the warm lentils and frisee.
• In a medium stockpot, combine lentils, stock, salt and pepper to taste, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook until the lentils are just tender. Cool the lentils in the stock to room temperature. In a large saute pan over medium heat with butter and olive oil, saute bacon until just brown. Add onion, shallot, carrot, and celery. Saute until the vegetables are just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the champagne vinegar and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the lentils and add to the vegetables. Toss with the warm vinaigrette. Mix until just combined and warm. Place 3 slices of duck on top of a bed of frisee. Pile the lentils on top of the duck and fan duck slices around the bottom of the salad.

DUCK BREAST AND FRISéE SALAD

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Toss bread with oil and kosher salt and spread in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan, then bake until golden, about 12 minutes.
• Whisk together Sherry vinegar, mustard, pepper, and salt to taste in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
• Fry duck slices in 2 batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning over once, until browned, about 3 minutes per batch (use caution; fat will splatter). Transfer duck breast bacon with tongs to a paper-towel-lined platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
• Fill a deep 10-inch skillet with 1 1/4 inches cold water. Add distilled vinegar and bring to a simmer.
• Break 1 egg into a cup, then slide egg into simmering water. Repeat with remaining eggs, spacing them in skillet, and poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Gently transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss frisée and croutons with dressing. Serve salad topped with duck bacon and eggs.