Lidgate’s has been a family-owned London mainstay for 160 years, so trust third-generation restaurateur Danny Lidgate to showcase the very best meat Holland Park has to offer. His new recipe collection is a juicy tribute to the cuisine that made his family famous. Grab a knife and dig in!
Les Landes is a coastal region of southwest France that is renowned for its ducks and walnuts, and this salad, with its sharp dressing, showcases them extremely well. Use whatever pieces of prepared duck you can find. Like many butchers, we sell confit duck that can be kept at home, ready for quick and delicious meals. Ours come from our friend Thomas Maieli, aka Mr. Duck, who also makes confit gizzards. These firm little morsels are really interesting to eat and well worth trying.
Ingredients
- Prepared duck, such as 2 confit duck legs, or 1 confit duck leg and 2 1/2 ounces sliced smoked duck breast, and/or 5 ounces confit duck gizzards
- 3 1/2 ounces crustless white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 ounces walnuts
- 5 ounces tasty lettuce (frisée is traditional), leaves separated
- 8 flavorsome cherry tomatoes, halved
For the dressing
- 1 banana shallot, very finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 teaspoons sherry or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Directions
For the salad
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
Put the confit duck in a roasting tray and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and the meat hot all the way through.
Meanwhile, if using confit gizzards, fry them in their own fat until crisp and cooked through.
To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
Remove the cooked duck from the roasting tray but leave the fat. Turn the oven down to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. If you’ve cooked gizzards instead of 2 confit duck legs, pour some of the fat into a roasting tray. Turn the bread cubes over in the fat and put the walnuts on the other side of the tray.
Remove the cooked duck from the roasting tray but leave the fat. Turn the oven down to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. If you’ve cooked gizzards instead of 2 confit duck legs, pour some of the fat into a roasting tray. Turn the bread cubes over in the fat and put the walnuts on the other side of the tray.
Cut the confit duck, including the skin, into medium shreds. Slice the gizzards (if using) into medium-sized pieces.
Put the lettuce, tomatoes, walnuts and croutons in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Divide between 4 plates. Arrange your pieces of duck over the salad. Serve immediately.
