Spicy Duck Mango Salad

This piquant salad is perfect for a refreshing, yet filling, summer meal. Feel free to use wild duck or goose breast, but be sure to scale the recipe up or down to suit the size of the breast(s).

Prep Time15 min
Cook Time20 min
Total Time35 min
Ready in35 min
Yield4 Servings

Cuisine
- American
- Wild Game
Course
- Main Course
- Salad
Cooking Method
- Searing

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 duck breasts, skin on
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) vegetable oil or duck fat
4 cups (80g) garden cress, frisée, watercress, or arugula
3 scallions, sliced
3 large sprigs of mint, leaves torn into small pieces
1/4 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1 mango, peeled and sliced

For the Dressing

3 tablespoons (45ml) vegetable oil
3 tablespoons (45ml) rice vinegar
1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon (5ml) sesame oil
1 teaspoon (5ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15ml) warm water
1 tablespoon (9g) minced, seeded red chili pepper

Preparation

Season duck breasts generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat up the oil in a steel or cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Put the duck breasts in the oil, skin side down and cook for about 15 minutes, letting the fat render out.

Flip them over and cook for another couple minutes until a temperature gauge poked into the middle reads 135°F (57°C) for medium rare.

Set onto a cutting board for 15 minutes to rest and cool down.

In a large salad bowl, add the cress or lettuce, scallions, mint, cucumber, and peppers.

In a small bowl, mix together all of the dressing ingredients until very well combined.

Slice the duck breast into thin slices.

Divide the lettuce mixture between 4 plates or bowls. Arrange slices of mango and duck evenly on top of each pile of salad. Drizzle the dressing over each plate.

Garnish with flaky salt if you’d like and serve immediately. Enjoy!