“This salad is a real favourite of mine and my mother,” says chef Sabrina Ghayour. “During the early 2000s in London, you’d be hard pushed to find a trendy restaurant that didn’t have a version of this salad on their menu.
“Duck legs are still relatively affordable, even if for a special occasion, and the amount of duck you get from two legs is just perfect for this recipe. The ‘quackling’ (as Nigella Lawson once called it), or crispy duck skin, is an essential and rather sensational addition.”
Duck and pomegranate salad with honey pomegranate sauce
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:
2 duck legs (about 460g total weight)
3 fat spring onions
100g mixed salad leaves
100g pack of pomegranate seeds, juice from the pack reserved for the dressing
Handful of mint leaves, rolled up tightly and thinly sliced into ribbons
Maldon sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp runny honey
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice from the pack of pomegranate seeds
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190C, 170C fan (375F), gas mark 5. Line a small baking tray with baking paper, and line a plate with a double layer of kitchen paper.
2. Place the duck legs on the lined tray, season the skin with salt and pepper, then roast for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, cut the white part of the spring onions into small batons, then slice very thinly into matchsticks. Place in cold water and set aside. Thinly slice the remaining green parts. Once cooked, remove the duck legs from the tray, leaving them on the baking paper, and set aside.
4. Increase the oven temperature to 240C, 220C fan (475F), gas mark 9. Line the baking tray with fresh baking paper.
5. Carefully remove the skin from the duck without breaking it (use a knife to help you release it from the underside), place on the lined tray and roast for 10 minutes until extra crispy. Remove the duck skin and transfer to the paper-lined plate to drain.
6. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Shred the duck meat using your fingers or 2 forks.
7. To serve, arrange the salad leaves on a large platter, scatter over some of the pomegranate seeds and the green and white parts of the spring onions. Arrange the duck meat on top and season with salt and pepper, then add the remaining pomegranate seeds and the mint. Use a spoon to drizzle over the dressing. Finally, break up the duck skin into bite-sized pieces, add on top of the salad, then serve. This needs no other accompaniment.
‘Persiana Easy’ by Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley, £28).
