12316 Salad of Home-Cured Duck Ham with Chestnuts and Walnuts Serves 4 Wed Aug 06 01:03:41 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 00:44:31 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12316 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:44:31 GMT Chestnuts are served warm in this country-style salad from the Périgord, which also includes thin slices of tender, juicy duck ham, crisp ventrèche or pancetta, and chopped walnuts. If curing the duck breast yourself, prepare about 2 weeks in advance, or substitute duck prosciutto or smoked duck breast.

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  • Thinly slice the duck ham crosswise on the diagonal; trim off the fat, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap to keep moist.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the walnut oil, vinegar, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Set the vinaigrette aside.
  • In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderately high heat. Add the bread cubes and fry, tossing, until golden on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and toss for an instant. Remove from the pan.
  • In the same skillet without added fat, fry the ventrèche over moderate heat until almost crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the chestnuts and season lightly with salt and pepper. Gently cook, shaking the pan, for 30 seconds or until the chestnuts are glistening. Remove from the heat.
  • In a salad bowl, quickly toss the greens with the vinaigrette. Add the hot chestnuts, chopped walnuts, croutons, and ventrèche; toss gently to mix. Arrange the slices of duck ham on top and serve the salad while the chestnuts are still warm.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main ½ recipe Home-Cured Duck Ham (pages 82–84)

    ]]>     3 tablespoons French walnut oil

    ]]>     2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, preferably aged

    ]]>     Salt and freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     3 tablespoons unsalted butter

    ]]>     4 slices of firm country-style bread, crust removed, cut into ½-inch cubes

    ]]>     1 garlic clove, crushed

    ]]>     ¼ pound ventrèche or pancetta, cut into thin strips

    ]]>     1½ cups cooked chestnuts (jarred or packed sous vide), or 1 pound freshly cooked chestnuts

    ]]>     4 cups field greens, rinsed and dried

    ]]>     ¼ cup chopped walnuts

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