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Vietnamese Grilled Duck Salad With Cucumber, Radishes and Peanuts

This zesty, cool and satisfying dish is worth making on any steamy summer night. The duck (you could use flank steak in a pinch, or for value) is marinated in a Vietnamese-inspired combination of soy sauce, lime, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar and fish sauce. The meat is grilled over indirect heat, and the result is meat beautifully infused with the flavors of the marinade. A crunchy slaw of cucumbers, radishes and carrots strewn with herbs and roasted peanuts finishes off the dish.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 3 limes
  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons toasted (Asian) sesame oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 4 duck breast halves 2 1/2 pounds, rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
  • 3 small jalapeños, seeded
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive or peanut oil
  • Kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
  • ⅓ pound radishes, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • ¼ cup chopped mint, plus more for garnish
  • ⅓ cup chopped salted roasted peanuts
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      634 calories; 34 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 64 grams protein; 218 milligrams cholesterol; 2195 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

Serves 4

Preparation

  1. Whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, juice and zest of 1 lime, ginger, and sesame oil. Mash half the garlic into a paste and whisk it into this marinade. Trim away the duck skin and most of the fat (reserve for rendering, if you like). Place the duck in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over it, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 12 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, vinegar, juice of 2 limes, fish sauce, 2 jalapeños (finely chopped) and oil. Mash the remaining garlic to a paste and whisk into this vinaigrette.
  3. Light a grill for high indirect heat (or heat a broiler with a rack 8 inches from the heat). Remove the duck from the marinade, scraping off any excess bits, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer duck to the unlighted portion of the grill; close cover and cook to desired doneness, 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. (If broiling, place duck on a baking sheet. Broil, turning once halfway through, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.) Transfer to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain.
  4. In a large bowl, toss together cucumber, carrots, radishes, cilantro, mint and 1 jalapeño (thinly sliced), with just enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat everything. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Toss in the peanuts. Place salad on a large platter and top with sliced meat. Drizzle with more of the vinaigrette, and sprinkle with cilantro and mint.

40 minutes

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