Each of today’s salads is ideal for a light meal at any time of the day. Recently, I enjoyed this duck salad with friends and it reminded me of just how fabulous the dressing is. It also goes well with leftover ham. These days, you can easily get authentic, Chinese aromatic duck in supermarkets. It makes this salad quick and easy to make and the duck can be cooked a couple of hours ahead of time, so that all you have to do is toss all of the ingredients together just before serving.

I use Silver Hill duck a lot. The company is based in Emyvale, Co Monaghan, and the quality of the produce is second-to-none. The company was founded by Ronnie and Lyla Steele and their son Stuart is now the managing director. It is great to see a family business thriving. Nothing goes to waste as they also have a business making duvets and pillows. Check them out at www.silverhillfarm.ie

I usually use Clare Island organic salmon or sea trout for the second salad. Salmon tastes far better if eaten slightly underdone rather than overcooked and for this recipe it should be served warm and not hot. This dressing also goes very well with pasta or couscous and sometimes I use prawns or grilled chicken breast instead of the salmon. Donegal Rapeseed does a very nice lemon-flavoured oil that I use to brush the salmon fillets.

Happy cooking.

Crispy shredded Chinese duck salad

Serves four to six

1 whole aromatic duck

1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed and shredded

1 firm ripe mango, peeled, stone removed and cut into julienne

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

50g (2oz) of roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped

Good handful of fresh coriander leaves

1 red chilli, sliced (optional)

120ml (4fl oz) of sunflower oil

4 tbsp of rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp of hoisin sauce

1 tsp of caster sugar

1 tbsp of finely-minced ginger root

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil

Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (400F), gas mark six. Remove the packaging from the duck and place it on a rack, over a roasting tin. Roast for one and a half hours, or according to packet instructions, until the skin is crisp and the duck is completely heated through. Remove it from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
  • Carve the meat from the duck and cut into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones and any excessively-fatty pieces of skin. Place it in a large bowl with the lettuce, mango, spring onion, cashew nuts, chilli (if using) and coriander.
  • To make the dressing, place the sunflower oil in a small bowl with the vinegar and hoisin sauce. Whisk until blended, then stir in the sugar, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Season to taste.
  • Use the dressing to lightly dress the duck salad, tossing gently until evenly combined. Arrange on plates and serve the remaining dressing in a small jug so that your guests can help themselves.
  • Grilled salmon with avocado, sun-dried tomato dressing and rocket salad

    Serves six

    6 x 175g (6oz) skinless salmon fillets, pin bones removed

    Rapeseed oil, for brushing

    Juice of 1/2 lemon

    3 ripe avocados

    25g (1oz) of wild rocket

    For the dressing

    12 semi sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped

    200ml (7fl oz) of rapeseed oil

    1 tsp of fresh lemon juice

    Pinch of chilli powder

    3 fresh basil leaves

    Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

  • To make the dressing, place the sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor with the rapeseed oil, lemon juice, chilli powder and basil leaves. Blend together for about one minute, or until you have achieved a fairly smooth texture. Season to taste and transfer to a jug.
  • Cut each of the salmon fillets into three pieces. Heat a griddle pan until it’s smoking hot. Season the salmon pieces and brush each one with a little rapeseed oil, then place in the griddle pan. Reduce the heat and cook for three to four minutes on each side, until just cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the heat and sprinkle over the lemon juice.
  • To serve, cut each avocado in half and remove the stone, then carefully peel away the skin. Drizzle a little of the dressing into the centre of each plate and place a fanned out avocado half in the centre. Arrange three pieces of the salmon around the edge of each plate. Scatter around the rocket and drizzle over a little more of the dressing.