Five Spice Duck Salad Recipes

Steps:

• In a large, heavy self-sealing plastic bag, combine the garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Add the duck breasts, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. In a large ovenproof sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the duck breast, skin side down, for 5 minutes; turn and sear for 5 minutes on the other side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the duck breasts to a plate and keep warm.
• To make a balsamic jus, pour off the fat from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the wine, and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook to reduce the wine by half. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook to reduce for several more minutes.
• Cut the duck breasts into diagonal slices and serve drizzled with the balsamic jus.

Steps:

• To make the dressing, combine the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
• Combine the remaining salt and the five-spice powder and sprinkle the mixture over the duck. Place a nonstick frying pan over high heat until hot. Place the duck, skin side down, in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the breasts, reduce the heat and cook until medium-rare, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the duck from the pan, place on a cutting board, and let rest for 5 minutes. Do not cover the duck or the skin will not be crisp.
• In a large bowl, combine the watercress, snow peas and cabbage. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 serving plates. Cut the duck into slices on the diagonal. Arrange the slices on each salad and serve.

Steps:

• To make the five-spice rub, put the fennel, cinnamon, star anise, Szechwan peppercorns (or cardamom), cloves, and chipotle pepper in a small pan over medium heat and toast for a few minutes until aromatic, shaking the pan. Let cool, then grind the toasted spices in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder. Transfer the ground spices to a bowl. Add the ginger, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine well.
• Pat spice rub generously all over the skin of the ducks, place them on a rack over a roasting pan, and refrigerate them, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, or, preferably overnight.
• Preheat a grill.
• When you are ready to cook the ducks, place them on a rotisserie over a grill with a drip pan set directly under the ducks. Keep the fire fairly low to avoid flare ups. Cook the ducks until the juices run clear and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 175 degrees F, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ducks from the rotisserie and carve them into breast and leg-thigh portions.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 with rack set in middle level.
• Wash duck, discarding excess fat, dry duck.
• Combine soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and five-spice powder. Stir until sugar dissolves.
• Loosen skin from duck breast and leg joint too. Rub marinade all into them, between the meat and the skin, rub some into the cavity as well, put the ginger in there, truss with string (essential).
• Put a rack in a roasting pan. Place on duck with the breast side facing down. Bake 45 minutes, baste often. Turn, bake 45 minutes more, baste often still.
• Rest 15 minutes before carving, tenting with foil if desired.