Grilled duck with burnt soy and rhubarb ginger pickle

Shuko Oda's grilled duck dish is a big favourite when it hits the specials board at Koya! Shuko recommends using mallard if you can get hold of it – the gamey flavour makes this dish extra special, and although it's smaller, you can grill the breasts and legs to feed two people. The rhubarb pickle adds a nice acidity to cut through the fatty duck, whilst the greens on the side add a touch of bitterness.

First published in 2020
share recipe:

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 2 duck breasts
  • 2 tbsp of unroasted sesame oil
  • 200g of shungiku greens, or watercress, mustard greens and/or long leaf spinach

Burnt soy

Rhubarb ginger pickle

  • 300g of rhubarb, finely sliced on an angle
  • 70g of ginger, finely sliced into discs
  • 5g of kombu
  • 100ml of water
  • 220g of rice vinegar
  • 75g of sugar
  • 15g of salt
  • 5g of soy sauce

Method

1
To make the rhubarb ginger pickle, mix the rhubarb and ginger together and place in a container. Dampen the sheet of kombu and tuck it in the middle of the rhubarb
  • 70g of ginger, finely sliced into discs
  • 300g of rhubarb, finely sliced on an angle
  • 5g of kombu
2
Combine the other ingredients and whisk thoroughly until the salt and sugar has dissolved. Pour into the container and leave for 2 days in the fridge
  • 75g of sugar
  • 100g of water
  • 220g of rice vinegar
  • 15g of salt
  • 5g of soy sauce
3
To make the burnt soy, combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar and honey in a saucepan and boil rapidly until the liquid has reduced to about a sixth of the original amount. The mixture should be sticky and heavy. Set aside for later
4
Season the meat with a good pinch of salt on both sides and drizzle with the unroasted sesame oil. Place the breasts skin-side down on a hot grill, barbecue or griddle pan and cook for 5 minutes
5
Check the skin on the duck breast – grills often have hot spots, so it’s worth moving the duck accordingly on the grill to make sure you get an even colour. Sear the duck (still skin-side down) for another 5 minutes, then take off the heat and rest for 5 minutes
6
Return the duck breasts to the grill and cook on the reverse side for 5-7 minutes
7
Whilst you’re grilling the meat, bring a pan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt. Blanch the greens for a minute or two then refresh in cold water and drain
  • 200g of shungiku greens, or watercress, mustard greens, long leaf spinach
8
Check the meat to see if it’s cooked (it should feel springy to the touch). Take the meat off the grill and rest for 5 minutes
9
Slice the breast into 2-3mm thick slices. Plate the breasts, with the greens and rhubarb pickle next to them. Finish with 3-4 tablespoons of burnt soy over the meat
First published in 2020
share recipe:

Shuko Oda spent much of her life living between Japan and the UK, making her the perfect person to combine traditional Japanese cooking and seasonal British ingredients at Koya – one of Soho’s most cherished restaurants.

Get in touch

 
Please or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs
 
You may also like
Japanese
Japanese
Duck breast
Duck breast
Dashi
Dashi
Rhubarb
Rhubarb
Scott Smith
Scott Smith
Load more