Asian Duck Confit Tacos highlight the duck’s savory, rich flavor in a light yet tangy sauce accented with crunchy cucumbers, scallions, and fresh cilantro!
Have you ever accidentally made something delicious? As in, you set off on your dinner journey and by the end you just happened to create something so extraordinarily delicious, that you become giddy with delight and can’t help but pat yourself on the back at your creative genius?
Because that’s exactly what happened to me with these Asian Duck Confit Tacos.
Last weekend, I was feeling rather uninspired in the kitchen. So I grabbed my puppy girl Stella and headed to Austin’s downtown farmer’s market, looking to for a menu muse. Now, winter isn’t actually the prime of farmer’s market shopping — there’s lots of greens, some citrus, root vegetables and squash. All of which left me feeling kind of ‘meh’ in terms of finding a menu muse.
But, as puppy girl and I were walking by one stand at the market, Stella made a sharp left turn and skimmed her nose along the side of a table that had out a spread of pâté for sampling. Looking up, I noticed the vendor was Belle Vie Farm — the vendor that came recommended by fellow Austin bloggers as a great source for local duck!
Oh puppy girl, Stella, you have splendid taste!
Skimming Belle Vie’s offerings, I noticed they had Duck Leg Confit and I instantly knew that this duck was coming home with me for Saturday night dinner. Making our way through the rest of the market, Stella and I grabbed a fresh bag of organic arugula, some scallions and treated ourselves to Buddha Brew’s Seasonal Beet Carrot kombucha!
Skipping back to the car, my mind started tossing around all the wonderful ways to use my farmer’s market finds! After much deliberation and a bit of input from <3M, it was decided this duck would be best served simply to highlight its savory, rich flavor with a bit of sweet, salt and tang — thus, Asian Duck Confit Tacos were born.
Since the Duck Confit is fully cooked, this meal is rich in flavor but easy in execution, the whole thing came together in less than 20 minutes. The duck leg is complimented by a simple, homemade Asian sauce topped with crunchy, crisp cucumbers, a sprinkling of scallions and a touch of cilantro.
The combination is savory and filling while somehow remaining light. Served up next to an arugula salad the tacos are complimented by the arugula’s own peppery spice, more cucumbers and scallions, and a generous topping of salty feta cheese all tossed in a light olive oil and lemon balsamic vinaigrette.
These Asian Duck Confit Tacos turned an ordinary, uninspired Saturday into a special, at-home date night for <3M & I — it was meal we raved about for days and can’t wait to make again.
So if you’re in the need of some inspiration and a menu muse, grab yourself a bit of duck confit and whip up these Asian Duck Confit Tacos to reinvigorate your cooking spirit!
- FOR THE TACOS
- 1 duck leg confit
- 1 scallion
- 1 English cucumber
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons hoisoin sauce
- ½-1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- 4 corn tortilla shells
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- Olive oil spray
- FOR THE SALAD
- 4 cups arugula
- 1 teaspoon garlic olive oil*
- 1 tablespoon lemon white balsamic vinegar*
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon grated garlic
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Prep the duck confit by removing the meat from the bone and set aside.
- Prepare the taco toppings by slicing the scallion and cucumber into thin rounds and roughly chopping the cilantro, set aside until serving.
- Make the sauce by spritzing a medium sized sauce pan with olive oil spray and warm over medium heat.
- Sauté 1 clove of garlic and 2 teaspoons of grated ginger for 2 minutes.
- Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce and ½-1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice. Mix until combined and the sauce just begins to bubble. Add in the prepared duck meat and turn the stove to low to warm duck meat. Once warm, leave the pan on the burner but turn it off.
- Assemble tacos by warming taco shells in a small skillet until lightly browned in some spots. Divide the duck meat between the 4 taco shells, topping with any additional sauce. Layer on prepared cucumbers, scallions and a bit of cilantro. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
- To assemble the salad, place the arugula in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, and grated garlic.
- Drizzle atop the arugula and toss to distribute. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Before serving, top with crumbled feta.
There’s a local taco place here in Richmond that does Asian fusion tacos but I don’t think I’ve ever seen duck confit! This is so creative!
I hate those days when you’re feeling uninspired! But it’s totally worth it when you create things like this!! They look utterly wonderful!
I’ll have to look for this duck confit thing in my town because I am not sure I’ve ever seen it. Interesting recipe!
Now this is what I’d call a VERY happy accident. Looks and sounds delish.
What a gorgeous recipe! I love this!