Duck Salad with Cherries
A warm and elegant Thermomix salad starring juicy cherries, tender duck, and golden duck fat croutons.
If you’re looking to impress with minimal effort, this duck salad delivers rich flavour, vibrant colour, and restaurant-worthy flair. If you have ever struggled with cooking duck to perfection, we have made it fail proof with your Thermomix. The sweetness of cherries balances beautifully with savoury duck, while crispy duck fat croutons bring irresistible texture. It’s the perfect dish for entertaining, a luxe lunch, or a festive starter. Whether you're using freshly cooked duck breast or clever leftovers, this recipe makes seasonal ingredients shine. If you don't want to run to the expense of duck, this works equally well with chicken. We also suggest sliced smoked chicken in this salad would be amazing.
What to Serve With It:
To Start:
A chilled pea and mint soup or beetroot soup
A simple herbed goat cheese tartlet
Warm marinated olives or a small charcuterie board
On the Side:
Crusty sourdough or baguette with whipped butter or rillettes
A side of crunchy roast potatoes or crispy polenta chips
Asparagus with lemon vinaigrette or green beans almondine
To Finish:
A light panna cotta with cherry compote (to echo the salad flavours)
Lavender crème brûlée or a lemon posset
A cheese board featuring washed rind cheeses and spiced cherry conserve
Drinks:
A glass of Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or dry rosé
A sparkling non-alcoholic cherry shrub or lavender lemonade
Need
- 2 duck breasts with skin on
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) BUY
- 2 slices of bread cut into small squares
-
The Salad
- 1 red onion peeled, sliced thinly
- 1 limes juice only
- 1 Pinch pink salt flakes BUY
- 100 Grams mixed salad leaves
- 1 Handful fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 fresh fennel bulbs thinly sliced
- 2 celery sticks, sliced
- 200 Grams fresh cherries, halved and pitted
- Handfuls nuts, brazil/hazelnutt/pecan as garnish
- 1/2 Batch French Vinaigrette or to taste Recipe
Do
- 1
Place 1 litre of water into the Thermomix bowl. Set Varoma into position. Place duck breasts onto a paper lined Varoma tray. Steam 13 min/Varoma/speed 2. Pat the skin dry with paper towel. Place the duck breasts into the fridge for a good dry out, (only if you have time, it just helps with the crisping up of the skin.)
- 2
Heat EVOO in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook breasts skin side down until browned and crispy. Set aside to rest. You do want crispy skin, but without over cooking the duck. Resting for at least 15 minutes is advised before slicing.
- 3
Place bread cubes into the residual duck fat and cook until browned. Set croutons aside.
- 4
To make the quick onion pickle, slice the onion thinly and pour lime juice over it and add a little salt.
- 5
To assemble the salad, lay salad greens and mint on a large plate, top with remaining ingredients, including the onion pickle. Drizzle with the French Vinaigrette.
Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of nine, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!
