Grilled Fig And Duck Salad Food

LACQUERED DUCK WITH GRILLED FIGS

Steps:

• Put all the syrup ingredients in a small, heavy-based saucepan. Add 6 tbsp water, season lightly with salt and pepper and simmer over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the syrup has reduced by just over half and is very sticky. Remove from the heat.
• Put the duck breasts skin side down in a cold frying pan (it's unusual to start frying in a cold pan, but with duck this is often a good idea - it makes the fat render slowly from under the skin, keeping the flesh really moist). Fry slowly for about 15 minutes until the skin is golden. At least 100ml/31⁄2fl oz fat will be rendered from the skin. (Once cool, keep the fat in the fridge - it's great for roasting potatoes.)
• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Sit the duck breasts skin side up on a rack in a roasting tin. Spoon a little of the syrup on top and leave for 2-3 minutes until sticky. Tip any syrup that drips into the bottom of the roasting tin back into the syrup in the saucepan, and reheat to liquefy if necessary. Repeat this technique - spooning the syrup over the duck and leaving it to stand - until there are three or four layers and you have used up most of the syrup. If it gets too thick, just add 1-2 tbsp water. Conversely, if it's too thin, add another 1 tbsp sugar. Arrange the orange slices round the duck and spoon the last splash of syrup over the top.
• Roast the duck for 8-12 minutes until done to your liking. Meanwhile, cut the figs in half lengthways, tip into a bowl and toss with the olive oil and plenty of seasoning. Heat a ridged cast-iron griddle pan (or a heavy frying pan) on the hob until very hot, then chargrill the figs for 2 minutes on each side.
• Once the duck is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 3 minutes, then cut each breast at an angle into two or three slices. Transfer to four serving plates with the orange slices and figs, and garnish with extra bay leaves and the star anise from the syrup.

WARM DUCK SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the duck breasts on a sheet pan, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and roast for about 20 minutes, until medium-rare. Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the fat and skin on top (unless you're making cracklings), slice the duck, and then cut the slices crosswise into julienned pieces.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar, orange zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.
• For the salad, trim the bottom half-inch from the endive and cut them diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Separate the leaves and discard the cores. Place the slices in a large salad bowl. Add the mache leaves, oranges, raspberries, and toasted pecans. Toss with enough dressing to moisten. Gently toss in the warm duck meat and serve immediately.

GRILLED FIG AND DUCK SALAD

Steps:

• Salt duck breasts and cook skin side down in a medium-hot grill pan for seven minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
• Turn the heat down a little, turn breasts over and cook a further seven minutes covered with a lid.
• Remove from heat and allow to rest in a warm place.
• Cut figs in half and grill for a minute until browned.
• Meanwhile make a dressing with the oil, vinegar and pomegranate molasses. Toss the salad leaves in the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
• Slice the duck breasts and arrange on the salad leaves with the figs. Drizzle with a little dressing and serve.

SPICED MOLASSES DUCK BREAST SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk salad dressing/marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup and strain for salad dressing. Marinate duck breasts in remainder of dressing/marinade, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours but no longer than overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat large saute pan over medium high heat and cook duck breasts on skin side first until most of fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Turn duck breasts and sear flesh side for 1 minute. Finish in oven and cook until medium rare, about 2 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.
• Clean and tear curly, separate Belgian endive leaves, and clean cress. Toss greens with most of the dressing, figs, and pecans. Cut duck breasts into 6 slices. Place greens in a mound in center of individual plates and arrange the sliced duck breasts around the outside. Drizzle any extra dressing around the plate.

DUCK BREAST AND FIG SALAD WITH A RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Trim duck breasts if necessary. Place in pan. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 of the red wine vinegar, olive oil, bay leaf, thyme and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over duck and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Trim top portion of the stem on figs. Season with pepper. Place in pan and add remaining red wine vinegar and red wine. Hold aside.
• Heat grill. Grill duck until cooked to desired doneness. Brush with marinade while grilling. Reserve leftover marinade and heat on stove until it just comes to a boil. Hold aside.
• Take duck off grill and let rest. Place figs on grill to warm, skin side down. Slice duck on the bias. Divide arugula into 5 portions and put on plate. Place duck and figs on top. Sprinkle with blanched chestnuts. Drizzle cooked marinade over duck, figs and greens.

GRILLED FIG SALAD

Steps:

• Snip the tiny stem end off each fig and cut in half lengthwise.
• Mix vinegar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.
• Add the figs and gently toss to coat.
• Let sit while you heat a grill (indoor or outdoor).
• If necessary, coat your grill with a little olive oil.
• When ready, grill the figs (reserving all of the marinade in the bowl) for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until grill marks appear -- don't overcook as the figs will become too mushy. Remove figs to a plate.
• To the reserved marinade, add olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper, whisking well to completely incorporate.
• Place greens in a large salad bowl; toss with dressing, then mound equal amounts on 4 individual serving plates.
• Place 2 fig halves decoratively over each plate of greens and serve.

SPICED HONEY-GLAZED HALLOUMI & FIG SALAD

Steps:

• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Put the fig halves on one half of a baking sheet and drizzle with half the honey. Dry-fry the ras el hanout in a hot pan for 1 min. Mix the remaining honey with the toasted ras el hanout and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Toss the slices of halloumi in the mixture and spread out on the other half of the baking sheet. Grill everything for 3 mins, flip the halloumi over and put back under the grill for a further 3 mins or until the halloumi is golden and the figs are softened.
• Whisk the remaining oil with the sherry vinegar and season to taste. Arrange handfuls of the rocket on six plates and drizzle with the dressing. Top with the figs, halloumi and prosciutto, then finish with the toasted almonds.