This meal is simple enough for a weeknight, but also sexy enough for a date night.
Just like a good pair of skinny black pants.
Duck turns out to cost about as much as a good piece of grass-fed beef. But somehow it seems altogether fresh and new for a weeknight meal. Toss in some bulk wild rice and some handfuls of baby spinach and you’ve got yourself something that despite it’s cheap and cheerful cost, almost poses as downright elegant.
Think of it as the H&M of meals. Fast fashion at the dinner table.
The duck is spiced simply with salt and pepper and a generous amount of Chinese five spice. Now before you go writing that off with “oh I can’t find that stuff,” know that in addition to you being able to easily grab a bit a your finer spice stores, you can also pick up a jar at your local grocery store because even McCormick’s makes it. Pan sear the duck, then drain (and save for oh so delicious potatoes) the fat that’s rendered off, then in the same pan wilt down your spinach that you douse with a bit of apple cider vinegar and a generous pinch of sugar. The wild rice, while it takes 45 minutes to cook, can easily be made ahead of time. Or you can unwind with some Jesse Ware and a cocktail while that simmers.
I always opt for the second.
Timing is, as it turns out – in fashion and the kitchen – is everything.
Chinese Five-Spiced Duck. Wild Rice Salad. Warm Spinach. For Two.
For the Wild Rice Salad
