Description

A vibrant and flavorful shredded duck salad featuring tender five-spice duck legs, fresh watercress, crisp radishes, chicory leaves, and juicy orange segments, all brought together with a tangy dressing made from rice vinegar, soy sauce, and orange juice. This dish combines savory, sweet, and peppery notes, making a refreshing and elegant salad perfect as a light main course or impressive starter.

Ingredients

Scale

Duck and Dressing

2 duck legs
1 tsp five-spice powder
5 tbsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of 2 oranges (reserved from segmented oranges)

Salad

2 large oranges, segmented
2 x 100g bags watercress
200g radishes, thinly sliced
140g pack chicory, leaves separated
Small bunch spring onion, sliced diagonally

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Duck: Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/Gas 6. Pat the duck legs dry with kitchen paper to remove excess moisture. Rub the duck legs with five-spice powder and season with salt and pepper.
Cook Duck in Aromatic Liquid: Pour rice vinegar, soy sauce, and reserved orange juice into a small roasting tin to create a flavorful braising liquid. Place the duck legs on top, cover the roasting tin with foil, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. This method gently cooks the duck while infusing it with aromatic flavors.
Crisp the Duck Skin: Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 240°C (220°C fan)/Gas 9, or alternatively, place the duck under a grill. Cook until the duck skin is crisp and golden brown. Remove the duck from the oven and set aside.
Strain and Reduce Cooking Liquid: Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve to remove solids. Let it cool briefly, then skim off any excess fat from the surface to create a clean, flavorful dressing.
Shred Duck Meat: Once the duck is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones and skin if preferred.
Prepare Salad: In a large bowl, gently toss together the orange segments, watercress, thinly sliced radishes, chicory leaves, and sliced spring onions, combining fresh and peppery elements for texture and flavor contrast.
Assemble and Dress Salad: Pour the reserved and skimmed cooking liquid over the salad and toss lightly to coat. Add the shredded duck on top and arrange everything attractively on a serving platter. Serve immediately to enjoy the warm duck combined with fresh, crisp salad ingredients.

Notes

To save time, you can prepare the duck ahead and shred it once cooled.
Adjust seasoning of dressing to taste before pouring over the salad.
For a less fatty dish, remove the skin from the duck before shredding or skim more fat from the cooking liquid.
Use pink or purple radishes for added color variation.
This salad is best served fresh to maintain the crispness of the greens.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Chinese-inspired

Keywords: shredded duck salad, watercress salad, orange duck salad, five-spice duck, healthy duck recipe, duck with radishes and chicory, citrus dressing salad