Warm Duck Breast Salad

(Thinking again of my Skinny Singles, I’ve written this recipe for one, but it can easily be multiplied. Though fresh duck breasts can be found at many butcher shops, most fine grocers sell them frozen, two to a pack. It’s perfectly fine to cut them apart and thaw only one.)

1 5-oz duck breast, boneless, with skin, completely thawed and left at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Salt and pepper
2-4 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 red bell pepper, roasted, skin removed (To roast, roll over gas flame or broil until skin is charred. Place in closed paper bag for 10 minutes, remove skin and seeds and slice. Or, of course, you can always buy them in a jar!)
1/4 cup sliced shallot or red onion
2 tablespoons sliced kalamata olives (Kalamatas are very flavorful and salty, but any Greek olive can be used.)
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped candied walnuts (These are crazy high in calories, fat and sugar. Chop fine to stretch their impact and use only 1 tablespoon!)
Scant bit of rendered duck fat, about 1/2 teaspoon
Drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar or Sherry Vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Using a sharp knife, score the duck skin (so that fat escapes and to help prevent curling), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don’t forget to season the duck before cooking, it is key to having tasty drippings to dress the salad.

Heat a stainless steel frying pan (NOT non-stick!) over medium high heat for several minutes before adding duck, skin side DOWN, to pan. There is no need to oil the pan, the skin will render more than enough fat to keep breast from sticking.

Let cook for 6-7 minutes, shake the pan to help release the skin, then flip and cook another 5 minutes with skin side up. Briefly remove breast to a plate and pour fat off into a heat proof bowl. (If you have dogs, you can save those drippings for their dinners….they’ll love you for it!)

Return breast to pan, skin side down, and set in the preheated oven to finish cooking, about 5-7 minutes more.

While the duck cooks, fill a plate with spinach (or a mix of spring greens, arugula or mizuna), sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. (La Brea Bakery and Mozza founder Nancy Silverton insists greens be salted before being dressed, and I’m not arguing with her.)

When duck is done, I slice it on top of the salad–so that the delicious juices from the meat and skin will dribble down and wilt the top layer of greens–and then trim off the remaining skin. It’s a little quicker to remove skin first and slice on a cutting board but you end up with a little less of the tasty drippings.

Add the olives, peppers, and shallots, sprinkle with the feta cheese and chopped walnuts and drizzle with Balsamic or Sherry Vinegar.

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD

Once you understand the calorie count in the “big ticket items” in this dish–the duck, cheese and nuts –you can improvise with any of the low calorie options you have on hand. You can try artichoke hearts, roasted or raw cherry tomatoes, poached or grilled asparagus or capers. If you don’t have candied walnuts, try a few dried cranberries or slivers of fresh apple to add the sweet note. You might also want to experiment with artisan vinegars…or skip the vinegar altogether and just use a squeeze of fresh lemon as the acid for the dressing.

There are literally dozens of options so have fun and find your favorite taste sensation!

- Recipe courtesy of Lisa McRee