Duck and Mango Salad with Sesame Dressing

(Serves 4–6)

Ingredients

Sesame Dressing

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 small red chilli, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Put everything into a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Taste and adjust the sweet, (the sugar), the salty, (the fish sauce), the sour, (the vinegar) and hot, (the chilli) flavours so they are balanced and harmonious.

Reserve at room temperature.

Salad

• 4 duck breasts
• 1 tablespoon soy oil
• 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, flattened slightly
• 1 Cos lettuce, leaves detached from the stem, washed and ripped into large bite sized pieces
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large mangoes, peeled, stoned and sliced
• ½ cup mint leaves
• ½ cup fried shallots (available from Asian shops)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Method

Cut the skin of the duck breasts almost down to the flesh in a criss cross pattern.

Put the duck into a non-reactive bowl and add the oil, soy sauce and garlic. Mix well. Cover and set aside 20 minutes.

Heat a frying pan over moderate heat and place the duck breasts in it, skin side down. Fry gently for 8 minutes until well browned and most of the fat has melted out from under the skin.

Turn over and fry 4 minutes on the skin side.

Remove from the pan and rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile place the Cos leaves and spring onions on a serving platter.

Thinly slice the duck (saving the juices) across the grain of the meat and place the duck and mango slices on the lettuce.

Add the duck juices to the dressing, whisking it well to combine.

Spoon the dressing over the salad.

Sprinkle the mint, fried shallots and sesame seeds on top and serve immediately.

Serve with steamed rice.

John Hawkesby’s wine recommendation

Pinot Noir
Rockburn 2008
Black Barn 2008