Dinner tonight: sweet-and-sour duck salad

Jams and jellies have dozens of uses beyond bread. Why not use apricot jam to flavour and thicken salad dressing? It makes perfect sense in a seared duck breast salad. Watercress, grapes and pumpkin seeds round out its flavours.

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Serves 4

Salad

• 250 ml (1 c) mixed basmati and wild rice
• 500 g (1 lb) skinless, boneless duck breasts, fat trimmed
• 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500 ml (2 c) watercress, tough stalks discarded
• 250 ml (1 c) seedless green grapes, halved
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 8 radicchio leaves or other red salad leaves
• 4 nectarines, thinly sliced
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) toasted pumpkin seedsDressing
• 5 ml (1 tsp) grated fresh ginger
• 1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) apricot jam
• 10 ml (2 tsp) raspberry vinegar or white-wine vinegar
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) hazelnut oil
• Salt

1. For the salad, cook the rice according to the package instructions. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool.
2. Preheat a grill pan. Brush the duck breasts on both sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place them on the grill pan and cook over medium-high heat for three to five minutes on each side for rare to medium-rare (cook longer if you prefer it medium or well-done). Allow the duck breasts to cool briefly, then cut into thin slices.
3. For the dressing, put the ginger, garlic, jam, vinegar and oil in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste.
4. Chop half the watercress and add to the rice together with the grapes, scallions and celery. Drizzle with half the dressing and mix gently.
5. Arrange the radicchio and remaining watercress leaves on four plates and divide the rice salad among them. Arrange the duck and nectarine slices on top, drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.

• To switch things up, make grilled duck, sweet potato and apple salad:
• Cook 750 grams (1 1/2 pounds) peeled, cubed sweet potatoes in enough boiling water to cover until tender, six to eight minutes.
• Drain well and cool slightly.
• For the dressing, stir 37 millilitres (2 1/2 tablespoons) mayonnaise, 37 millilitres (2 1/2 tablespoons) plain yogurt and 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
• Core and chop one large apple and toss with 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) lemon juice in a large bowl.
• Add three celery stalks and four scallions, all thinly sliced, and stir in the dressing.
• Fold in the sweet potatoes and the hot sliced duck.
• Serve warm on a bed of mixed salad leaves.

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