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If You Don't Fall For This Duck Salad, You're Daffy

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By JADEN HAIR

Tribune correspondent

Published: April 29, 2008

Updated:

I've been in Los Angeles for the past 11 days, teaching some cooking classes and visiting family. I thought it would be a great idea to bring both of my boys along with me since tickets were only $250 each round-trip for a direct flight from Tampa to Los Angeles.

It was a deal too good to pass up, as I'm a Wal-Mart shopper and easily wooed by a bargain. I wouldn't normally buy tangerine-flavored fingernail polish, but if it's on sale for 35 percent off? OMG. I cannot resist. Give me the entire lot of them.

So, when I saw that the airfare was practically half off, I quickly purchased the tickets, not really thinking of the consequences of spending five hours in a small, enclosed flying contraption with no easy access to reinforcements, aka husband, teachers or relatives. Tag team, FAIL.

Thank goodness for the rolling minibar and $3 Snickers. That newlywed couple in the next aisle going to Hawaii for their honeymoon? My money says they probably swore off having children for the next 11 years. Who knew that flying with kids would be such great birth control? Next time your teenage daughter talks about sex, have her sit next to us on an airplane.

We arrived safely, and after wading through the thick smog and maneuvering in traffic, all I wanted was to clear my body with a light, refreshing salad. Mom knew exactly what to fix to make us feel welcome at her home.

Pomelo is a Chinese grapefruit, and we are lucky that in Florida (and California), it is plentiful. The skin is thick, rather fibrous, but easily peeled away after scoring with a knife.

Like a grapefruit, you don't eat the membrane because it can be pretty bitter and tough. The flesh is firmer, the flavor more delicate and the texture more akin to a navel orange. You can find pomelos at most Asian markets, and I've also seen them at Whole Foods and Sweetbay. To eat, score the thick skin with a sharp knife and peel away as you would an orange. Open up the pomelo and with your fingers, pry apart each segment, peeling the flesh away from the membrane and pith. You can substitute with grapefruit or orange.

OK, now let's talk about one of my favorite foods in the world: roast duck. It's a pain in the butt to make at home, mostly because it's difficult to find fresh duck in supermarkets. But why bother when for $15, you can buy a whole, perfectly roasted duck at the Asian market. Its sweet, shiny, mahogany-colored skin is highly addictive. You'll see it hanging whole, displayed in a glass case, and workers will chop it up Chinese-style for you to take home.

Both MD Oriental Market and Oceanic Supermarket in Tampa carry roast duck - just call first, as they quickly sell out. You can buy the duck only half or whole.

For this recipe, buy a half-duck, which will leave you with plenty of leftovers for midnight noshing. You can certainly substitute with a roast or grilled chicken.

POMELO AND ROASTED DUCK SALAD

1/2 small pomelo

1 cup cucumber slices

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots

2 breasts of roasted duck, shredded

Handful of mint and Thai basil

3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped

Dressing:

2 tablespoons fish sauce

11/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon water

11/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoons minced chilies

Peel the pomelo, and remove all membrane from the pulp. Cut pulp into small sections. Toss pomelo with cucumber, cabbage and carrots, and place on large platter. Arrange shredded duck, mint and basil on platter. Top with chopped peanuts. Whisk dressing ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and serve alongside the salad platter.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: This recipe is adapted from "Street Food in Vietnam," by Michelle Lo, but this photo is of the dish made by my mama.

Jaden Hair is a cooking instructor and author of the blog Jaden's Steamy Kitchen at steamykitchen.com.

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