Lychee Duck Salad

Serves: 4
Prep: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients
2 red witlof or red radicchio lettuces
4 baby beetroot, cut into small wedges
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 orange
4 lychees, split, peeled and seeded
3 red radishes, finely sliced
baby herbs

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Half the radicchio, rinse and dry. Clean the radishes and finely slice. Peel, halve and pit the lychees. With a knife, peel and segment the orange. Set all these ingredients aside.
Duck: Clean and dry duck breasts thoroughly with a paper towel, dry skin to ensure it becomes crispy while cooking. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breast. Season the duck with salt & pepper. Place the breast, skin side down, on a cold non-stick pan and bring to a medium heat. With tongs pressing down on the breast, cook for 5 minutes, flip, then place the whole pan (alternatively place onto a baking tray) in the oven for a remaining 3 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside and cover with foil allowing it to rest for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting into thin slices diagonally.
Pour the duck fat from the pan and sauté the beetroot and onion together over a medium heat for about 6 minutes, until the onion and beetroot are soft. They will go a gorgeous pink/red colour. Season & set aside.
ASSEMBLY: Layer the salad, beetroot and onion, top with the duck and lychees and sprinkle with micro herbs.

Dressing

Ingredients
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs seeded mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Method
Whisk the vinegar, lemon, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow, steady stream and continue whisking until slightly thickened. Keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Kitchen Notes
Blood orange is nice to use if in season
For an oil-free dressing, a caramelised balsamic vinegar is a great alternative to a quick and easy dressing and pairs perfectly with duck.
You want the lychees to be sweet jewels of surprise in your mouth. Cut them according to your taste, be it in half or quarters.
If you can't get radicchio at your local market, swap for a firm, preferably red leaf lettuce. "Little gem" lettuce combos are great and have lovely vibrant red and green colours. "Baby cos" is also a good alternate.
Any game meat will work well. For easy entertaining, substitute the duck breast with chicken breast (skin on), or swap out the leftover turkey for leftover chicken.

Turkey Instructions
Half the radicchio, rinse and dry. Clean the radishes and finely slice. Peel, halve and pit the lychees. With a knife, peel and segment the orange. Set all these ingredients aside. Add a splash of olive oil to a pan and sauté the beetroot and onion together over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until the onion and beetroot are soft. They will go a gorgeous pink/red colour. Season & set aside to cool.

LEFTOVER TURKEY: Pull the turkey into bite sized portions, tossing any turkey leftover juices to make sure the pieces are succulent.
ASSEMBLY: Layer the salad, beetroot and onion, top with the turkey and lychees and sprinkle with micro herbs.

Australian Lychees: In Season Now

Fresh Australian lychees have hit supermarket shelves just in time for summer. There will be an abundant supply of great quality lychees in stores in the coming weeks, despite our Aussie growers facing extreme weather challenges including bushfires and drought. 

Lychee grower Jill Houser says, "Australia is lucky enough to have the longest lychee season in the world, so lychee lovers can expect to see the fruit from now until mid-March. 

"They not only taste great but are good for you too. They are rich in vitamin C, have high levels of antioxidants and a high-water content, making them a hydrating and refreshing snack that's perfect for summer," said Houser. 

Recipe developer and stylist Megann Evans, says tropical lychees can turn simple dishes into something impressive, making them an entertainer's best friend. 

"Fresh Aussie lychees are juicy, have a distinctly sweet flavour and a floral aroma unlike any other fruit." 

"They are versatile, working well in both sweet and savoury dishes, ideal for cocktails and are the perfect ingredient to spice up festive season leftovers, such as a turkey salad," says Evans. 

Australian Lychees' Top Tips

How to choose: Lychees don't continue to ripen once picked so choose fruit that is firm and springy to touch, with a red or pink skin. 

How to store: Keep your lychees in a container in the fridge. They can discolour when left unrefrigerated, but don't be fooled, they will still be sweet and juicy on the inside. If you have more lychees than you can enjoy, freeze them for up to six months. 

How to eat: To peel a lychee, dig your fingernail into the skin to break the outer shell, then peel the skin away – similar to peeling the shell of a hard-boiled egg. 

Enjoy with: mint, ginger, lime, chilli, coconut, mango, kiwi, citrus, chocolate, vanilla, sake, tequila and vodka. 

For more information about Australian lychees visit: 
http://www.facebook.com/AussieLychees
@aussielychees