Warm Lentil Salad With Honey Glazed Duck Breast Lardons And Frisee Food

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.

FRISEE AUX LARDONS

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned and slightly crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepot over high heat. Add the vinegar and stir to combine. Working one at a time, crack each egg into a small dish and slowly lower it into the water, sliding the egg out. Reduce the heat to maintain a light simmer and poach the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Chop the frisee into 2-inch pieces, place in a large bowl and toss with the cooked bacon, crumbled blue cheese and vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and toss until well combined. Divide the salad among 4 plates and gently place a poached egg in the center of each "nest" of salad. Divide the baguette slices among the plates and serve immediately.
• Put the garlic cloves in a small saucepan and add enough olive oil just to cover. Cook over low heat until the garlic is soft and melting, 35 to 45 minutes, to make garlic confit.
• Combine the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper with 2 tablespoons garlic confit and 2 tablespoons water in a blender and blend on medium speed until smooth. (Reserve the remaining garlic confit for another use.) With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until it has been incorporated.
• Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. The vinaigrette will keep for up to 1 week.

FRISEE AUX LARDONS

Steps:

• For the dressing, saute the chicken livers until cooked through. In a blender, puree liver with oil, vinegar, and shallots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. For the salad, saute the lardons in a medium saute pan over medium heat until crispy. Transfer with bacon fat into mixing bowl. Toss with frisee and enough dressing until coated lightly. Generously spread cheese on croutons. Serve salad in individual plates topped with 1 crouton.

WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH HONEY GLAZED DUCK BREAST, LARDONS, AND FRISEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Score the skin side of the duck breasts on the diagonal in both directions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a pastry brush, brush the breasts with honey. Transfer to a hot saute pan with 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pan sear the duck breasts skin-side down until golden. Place the duck, skin-side-up in the pan in the oven and cook until rare, about 7 minutes. Slice the duck and fan around the bottom of the warm lentils and frisee.
• In a medium stockpot, combine lentils, stock, salt and pepper to taste, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook until the lentils are just tender. Cool the lentils in the stock to room temperature. In a large saute pan over medium heat with butter and olive oil, saute bacon until just brown. Add onion, shallot, carrot, and celery. Saute until the vegetables are just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the champagne vinegar and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the lentils and add to the vegetables. Toss with the warm vinaigrette. Mix until just combined and warm. Place 3 slices of duck on top of a bed of frisee. Pile the lentils on top of the duck and fan duck slices around the bottom of the salad.