PEAR AND DUCK CONFIT SALAD
Bob Love,
Ithaca
NB: 2 duck legs serves 3 to 4 people
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Sherry or white wine vinegar
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 2 confit duck legs [ available at Ludgate Farms in freezer
section or by special order]
- 3 firm-ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears (red ones look good)
- 8 cups mixed greens: baby spinach leaves, for sure,
- plus a bit of frisée (French curly endive),
&/or watercress sprigs
- 2 oz crumbled Roquefort or other good blue cheese (1/2 cup)
(Optional: Preheat oven to 250°F.)
Whisk together mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper
to taste in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons oil in a
slow stream, whisking until emulsified, then whisk in
shallot.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy
skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking,
then cook pecans, stirring, until golden brown.
Transfer nuts with a slotted spoon to paper towels to
drain, then season with salt.
Heat skillet with any oil remaining in it over
moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then
brown duck on all sides until crisp, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board and tear meat into
bite-size pieces and discard bones.
(Optional: Keep duck warm, covered, on a baking sheet
in oven.)
Halve and core pears and cut lengthwise into
1/4-inch-thick slices. Dress the salad greens and top
with pears, duck, cheese and nuts -- artfully
arranged, of course -- or just toss it all, which
doesn’t look as good but probably tastes better.
Serves 4
Risotto with a few shiitake mushrooms also does well
with duck confit, but then you need something really
acid and green, like an asparagus vinaigrette, to go
next to it.
Contributed by Bob Love,
Ithaca
Ludgate Farms
1552 Hanshaw Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850