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Just because it's getting cold, it doesn't mean you need to stop eating salads. Yes, soups warm you up instantly and are nice with a crusty piece of bread but salads are lively, crunchy and full of colour. Here is a recipe for a warm red salad which is both hearty and deeply satisfying!
Pomegranate arils are gorgeous and vivid in colour and taste. They're brilliant for transforming salads into something a bit more special. This super fruit is also a perfect addition to this autumn salad because they are well known for their nutritional benefits in helping fight off bacteria and viruses, which is especially crucial in this chilly season.
Their sweet, juicy and tangy attributes will be used in a luscious rich dressing.
I've also added beetroot which is beautifully earthy and sweet. It's firm flesh will be one of the many contrasting textures in this salad. Be careful to wear disposable gloves when preparing beetroot to avoid staining your hands, and make sure you use a plastic chopping board versus a wooden one for the same reason.
Warm duck salad with pomegranate and beetroot
Adapted from Taste.com.au and Holiday by Bill Granger
Serves four
Ingredients
8 baby beetroot
1 Royal Pom pomegranate
2 tablespoon redcurrant jelly, warmed gently
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 duck breast fillets Note: you can replace this with half a roast duck from your local Asian BBQ house
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100g thin green beans, blanched
1 cup rocket
1 cup radicchio
150g marinated feta, drained
2 tablespoon chopped walnuts, toasted
Method
Cook beetroot in boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender. Peel and quarter when cool enough to handle, then set aside.
Gently press each pomegranate half over a juicer to extract juice and loosen seeds. Place the juice in a bowl, then using the sharp tip of a knife, remove the seeds and add to the bowl. Place warmed jelly in a bowl and whisk in oil, vinegar, mustard and 2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice. Season, then set aside.
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Score the skin on each duck breast 5 - 6 times. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and rub into the duck skin.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the duck, skin side down, for 6 - 7 minutes until the skin is crisp and fat has rendered down. Turn over and cook for another minute. Put the duck on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 5 minutes for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Set aside to rest.
Slice the duck on the diagonal. Divide the rocket, radicchio, beans and feta among four serving plates. Top with 3 tablespoons of dressing, sliced duck and nuts. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.
For a more substantial meal, you can serve it with a side of roast potatoes.
I've steamed a large handful of chat potatoes, tossed them in a few tablespoons of olive oil and then baked them in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and crisp. For a restaurant quality taste, sprinkle with Flying Fish's chillie salt, which is easy peasy to do and adds a completely new dimension to the spuds.
Royal Pom pomegranates are available in the fresh produce aisle of most supermarkets and local grocers in Australia between April and July 2010.
Flying Fish products are available for purchase at Chook Pen Inn.
JENIUS received two Royal Pom pomegranates for trial, courtesy of WordStorm PR. JENIUS also received a set of the Flying Fish products for trial, courtesy of Chook Pen Inn.
Looks so good, Jen - whenever you want to make this dish for me, I'm there!
Hehehe, will do! ;)
What a gorgeous looking salad! All that red means its full of antioxidants and delicious too! Perfect autumn food.
Thanks Moya! Funny thing is I ate it on a red plate too :-P
that sure is a pretty salad
And it's not just all good looks! It is so tasty & satisfying! :D
Yum I love these flavours together. It looks fantastic too! The rub you put on the duck sounds really interesting, I will try sometime!
Thanks! I'm sure you'll love it! :)
Mmm yummo! What a great combination of flavours, colours and textures. (Looks like it might have turned your pee an interesting colour too... :P )
LOL! It may have if I'd eaten all four portions!