Asian Inspired Wild Duck Salad - Recipe

When I first moved in with my husband (then boyfriend) one of my first jobs was to empty (sanitise) his bachelor freezer, I unearthed untold numbers of dried up little carcasses all neatly bagged and labeled "Duck, May 05", "Duck, May 06" etc etc etc, this was great apart from the fact it was then 2010 and the frozen duck collection filled more than a couple of frosty boxes in the freezer depths.

Don't get me wrong, I love the tradition and social event that is our annual Duck Shoot, but I am a little averse to killing something you don't plan to eat, so needed to find something to do with them other than a stringy roast bird with an orange up its backside. There's also that whole playing-with-fire-broken-tooth thing that always has me a little wary!

My answer to these problems - Asian Inspired Wild Duck Salad

Use the breasts only, the key is not to overcook - remember it's duck not chicken, you don't need to cook it till it shrivels. Aim for medium so there is a good amount of pink in the middle - as you'd cook wild venison. I'm fairly imprecise with my measurements, so I'd encourage experimenting!

Recipe for four:

Marinade 4 duck breasts for at least 2 hours in: 2T honey, 3T light soy sauce, 1-2T sesame oil, 3T hoisin sauce, 2T rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 4 garlic cloves crushed, a thumb of ginger grated. 

The veges 

Take 4 inches of cucumber, cut in halves lengthways, deseed and thinly slice. Slice 1 carrot into matchsticks. Slice 2-3 spring onions finely. Marinade vegetables in 1/4 cup wine vinegar, 1t sugar and 1/2t salt

Just before you're ready to eat, remove the duck breasts from the marinade and cook in a hot pan for 4 minutes each side. Cover and rest for at least 10 minutes.

While the duck is resting:

Pour the marinade into the pan and boil for 3-4 minutes. Add a little chicken stock if you want it to go further

Cook enough noodles (Soba, Rice - what ever you have on hand)

Cook some green beans.

Now build the salad

Slice duck finely across the grain, make sure you leave out any bruised meat - or pellets!

Arrange noodles in the bowl, top with duck slices, pour over the marinade sauce, add the drained veges, a side of beans and a good sprinkle of coriander if you've got it. Delicious!