For me, duck used to be a fall and winter dish, but there are times in the summer months when you need a dish to satiate your hunger but yet provide those crisp and sweet flavors of the season. If that moment is now I have something for you, Summer Duck Salad.

Summer Duck Salad by Diverse Dinners

Summer Duck Salad is simple. Braised duck on top of a bed of raw fruits and veg. Romaine, corn, carrot and pomegranate, drizzled with an orange salad dressing. The orange dressing is a combination of fresh orange juice, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chives and salt. The combination is super delicious and delightfully gratifying.

I want to say that I couldn’t get enough of this salad, but that wouldn’t be true, this salad is very filling. However, I enjoyed it so much I cannot want to have it again. Maybe in the next week or so perhaps.

This is a hearty meal for two, but it can also be converted into an appetizer for four. Summer Duck Salad makes for a great opener for a three-course meal. Serve chicken or fish to follow to balance your menu selection.

Serving salads with hunks of meat is a great way to inject vegetables into family members’ diets. So many of my friends decry the use of vegetables in their meals, but if I pile hearty slices of duck in and around some vegetables, they devour everything on their plate. I don’t really understand it, but it works. How strange is that – right?

Summer Duck Salad by Diverse Dinners

If there is a secret to make this dish just right, I would say – don’t overcook the duck. It is recommended to cook duck to 160°F, but at that temperature you may find it a little tough. If you can stand it, cook to 140°F for more juicy nuggets of meat.

Print Recipe

Summer Duck Salad

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour

Ingredients

Orange Salad Dressing

  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chives chopped
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Duck Salad

  • 2 x 6-8 oz duck breasts
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 romaine lettuce hearts
  • 1 cup carrots shredded
  • 2 corn on cob
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions

Orange Salad Dressing

  • Whisk ingredients together vigorously and store in fridge.

    Duck Salad

    • Slice the skin of the duck a couple of times and then season with salt and pepper.
    • Place duck skin side down in a hot skillet, no oil needed.
    • Cook both sides until browned and cooked to desired temperature, then set aside to rest.
    • Husk the corn and pull away the threads from the corn.
    • With a stiff brush remove the stubborn threads and then rinse thoroughly.
    • Trim the base of the corn to create a flat area and balance the corn on that area, hold steady with your hand.
    • With a sharp chef's knife slice away the corn kernels. Start from the top and cut two thirds into the corn from top to bottom.
    • Cut romaine in half lengthways (from top to bottom) and place them at the four corners of your serving plate.
    • Scatter carrot and corn on the base of the plate overlapping the romaine just a little, then scatter pomegranate on top.
    • Drizzle with orange salad dressing.
    • Slice duck into chunks and place on top.
    • Serve immediately.