Warm Duck Salad with Orange & Asparagus

Warm duck breast salad featuring roasted radishes & asparagus with rocket (Arugula), orange segments, and the simplest of orange dressings.

The whole dish cooks in around 25-30 minutes and is a real dressy salad dish that is perfect as a shared starter or a main course salad.

Summer Duck Recipe.

I grew up thinking that salads were something pious that folk ate when they were on a diet… This. Ain’t. One. Of. Those. Salads!

I often associate duck with hearty winter fayre. Whether it is a whole roast duck or something like my Thai duck curry they are belly fillers.

This warm duck salad with orange takes ingredients that simply just work together. Duck with Orange, Asparagus with orange, fennel with orange and combines to create a fantastic light main course salad.

It is also surprisingly quick taking just 30 minutes of pretty leisurely cooking. I use the cold pan method of cooking duck, it is gloriously simple and yields the best results for pan fried duck.

I think this makes for a great date night salad leaving plenty of room for a dessert and even a starter.

It is also great fodder for a small dinner party, although I would avoid larger numbers.

This is simply because getting the duck right for lots of people with different preferences puts way too much stress on a night that you should be enjoying too.

Frequently Asked Questions.

How do you tell when duck is perfectly cooked?

The very best way to do this is to get yourself a meat thermometer. I use an “instant read” thermometer that costs around £10 or $15. If you cook meat it will make you a more accurate cook from day 1!

I like my duck cooked nice and pink so I cook until 53-54°C or 127°F and rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.

If you prefer medium cooked duck, remove it at around 60°C or 140°F and well done at 65°C or 150°F.

Can I use something other than asparagus?

Yes, if it is not asparagus season I use green beans in this salad, and roast them for just 5 minutes.

Whilst we are discussing the asparagus, I use just the tips in the recipe. You can use all of the asparagus and just snap off the woody part.

However I prefer to use the asparagus stems to make my cream of asparagus soup!

Are there alternative salad leaves that can be used?

Yes, the first that springs to mind is watercress which has a beautifully peppery flavour like rocket or arugula.

The second is lamb’s lettuce which is occasionally known as corn salad, it has a much milder flavour but a beautiful texture.

Finally, if you are the foraging type then how about dandelion leaves? They taste superb and are often overlooked!

Serving Suggestions.

If I am serving this duck breast salad as a main course then I typically use a whole small duck breast per person.

It doe however make for a wonderful light starter for a multi course meal and then I use a single duck breast between two people.

If I wanted to bulk out this salad and make it a heartier meal then I would likely add some bread to munch on. My choice personally speaking would be a nice focaccia bread.

Although you could also add some grains, some simply cooked bulgur wheat or puy lentils or even pearly barley.