A Take on Japanese Tataki
By Andrew Zimmern
In this episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I’m transforming a beautiful wild duck into two dishes that showcase the versatility of this delicious game bird. First, I’ll utilize the breast for a simple grilled appetizer inspired by Japanese tataki—duck seasoned with scallion, ginger and Thai chiles, finished with a dramatic sizzle of hot oil and black vinegar. Then, I’ll use the rest of the duck to make open fire duck noodle soup, starting with a rich, fortified duck and lemongrass broth. The dish comes together with braised dark quarters, fresh egg noodles, lots of aromatic herbs, bean sprouts and squeeze of lime.
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Seared Duck Breast with Ginger and Scallion
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 smaller boneless duck breasts, skin on
- Sea salt
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
- 2 Thai chiles or similar, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger, cut into thin threads
- 1 teaspoon togarashi, Japanese 7 spice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons peanut oil
Instructions
Score the skin of the duck breast every 1/4 inch. Season well with salt.
Preheat a plancha or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the duck breast skin side down. Gently press down with a large spatula to evenly brown and render the fat. Cook until the skin is nicely brown, 5 to 7 minutes, then flip and gently press down again to promote even cooking. Cook for another couple minutes or until rare, remove and allow it to rest.
Slice the duck breast very thin, and lay, skin up, sliced slightly overlapping on a plate. Combine the scallions, chiles, ginger and togarashi. Sprinkle this seasoning mixture over the duck. Drizzle with the soy sauce and vinegar. Heat the oil until VERY hot and drizzle over the duck and garnish. This will pull all of the aromatic flavor out of the ginger, scallion and togarashi. and serve right away.
