Her Modern Kitchen

Eating & Living in Austin, Texas

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Belle Vie Farm | Farmer’s Market Asian Duck Confit Tacos with

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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.

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!

Asian Duck Confit Tacos

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.

Asian Duck Confit Tacos

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.

Asian Duck Confit Tacos

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!

5.0 from 3 reviews
Asian Duck Confit Tacos with Simple Arugula Salad
 
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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!
Serves: 4 tacos
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. Prep the duck confit by removing the meat from the bone and set aside.
  2. Prepare the taco toppings by slicing the scallion and cucumber into thin rounds and roughly chopping the cilantro, set aside until serving.
  3. Make the sauce by spritzing a medium sized sauce pan with olive oil spray and warm over medium heat.
  4. Sauté 1 clove of garlic and 2 teaspoons of grated ginger for 2 minutes.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. To assemble the salad, place the arugula in a large bowl and set aside.
  8. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, and grated garlic.
  9. Drizzle atop the arugula and toss to distribute. Salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Before serving, top with crumbled feta.
Notes
*If you don't have garlic olive oil or lemon white balsamic, simply add a bit more garlic and a squeeze of half a lemon to the salad.

Asian Duck Confit Tacos Pinterest

 

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos

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Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, these Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos cook all day so you can enjoy a delish Mexican meal while kicking back with a margarita.

With these Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos, I’ve simplified the traditional, mole-making process while preserving all the mole flavor. These tacos also come together quickly in the morning then cook all day long in your slow-cooker so when dinner time rolls around, all you have to do is shred the chicken and add your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos 2

This Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Taco recipe is definitely a go-to when I want an easy, flavorful yet healthy meal on a busy weekday. This recipe also results in a large portion and the leftovers freeze well. I often plan to make the chicken for dinner then freeze any extras in smaller portions, so I can enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal when life becomes a little too busy.

I especially love the Mole Chicken because the chicken itself is so versatile — <3M and I not only enjoy the chicken as a taco but also in quesadillas, added into Mexican-inspired quinoa or rice bowls, and atop salads a la Chipotle Salad-style. Any way you serve it, this Mole Chicken is spectacularly delicious.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos 3

If you aren’t familiar with mole sauce, it’s often referred to when speaking of a dark red or brown sauce typically served over meat.  In the rest of the world, the word mole can simply be translated to mean sauce and can come in any color – brown, green, red, or even yellow.

The mole I know and love is the dark red sauce and is traditionally tomato-based with chili peppers and cocoa. I find mole sauce to be warming with a slight undertone of spice from the peppers. It has a great depth of flavor in part due to the cocoa and the heat of charred the peppers.

Traditionally, mole sauce takes time to make which allows flavor to develop. In most recipes, it begins by first roasting and grinding the peppers into a fine paste then simmering this paste with water or broth for hours which requires constant oversight and stirring to ensure it doesn’t brown. Although my Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Taco recipe does take time, it does not require constant attention as the flavor develops during the cooking process within your crockpot — it’s definitely a recipe made for those who would rather eat great food without slaving over the stove for hours on end.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos

To bring out the depth of flavor similar to a mole sauce that was stirred and cooked on the stovetop all day, I start with a few base Mexican ingredients and spices — tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, cumin, chili powder and coriander. To help add a bit of warmth there’s cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and peanut butter. (Now, I’m not sure if the traditional mole recipe has peanut butter but I wouldn’t make mine without it! I truly think peanut butter adds this roasted nutty flavor to the sauce that brings it to the next level!) To help balance some of the spice from the adobo sauce and chipotle peppers, there’s a handful of raisins and a bit of sugar added, which also helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos - Steps

Although it might be a lengthy ingredient list, my recipe begins simply enough, with a food processor and pureeing all the ingredients. Once everything is combined, I place the chicken breasts in the crockpot, cover them with the mole sauce and let it all cook on low for 6-8 hours. After cooking for so long on low heat, the chicken will be ready to simply fall apart when it comes time to eat. Just before serving, I shred the chicken with a pair of metal tongs or two forks, add the meat and a bit of sauce to a toasted taco shell and top them off!

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos 2

My favorite way to enjoy Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos is very simply.  I serve mine on a toasted corn taco shell topped with a few slices of ripe avocado, a sprinkle of cotija cheese, and a couple thin slices of red onion. Since the mole sauce itself has so much flavor, these tacos don’t need much more. They themselves are the star of the show and the perfect accompaniment to a Cinco de Mayo margarita, a side of roasted corn, refried black beans or my Honey Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos
 
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Serves: 6 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 3 cloves garlic, peels removed & roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle chile)
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
  • 1 15-ounce can no-salt-added tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1½ - 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
  • For serving: corn tortillas, cotija cheese, avocaod, and red onions
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients with the exception of the chicken breasts in a food processor.
  2. Pureer the ingredients until a thick, rich sauce is formed.
  3. Place the whole chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker and pour the sauce from the food processor on top, covering the chicken completely.
  4. Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
  5. Once cooked, turn off the crockpot and with the chicken still in your slow cooker, use a pair of metal tongs or two forks to shred the chicken, stirring it into the extra sauce.
  6. As you shred and combine the chicken and sauce, you'll notice the chicken begins to soak up any additional sauce in the crockpot.
  7. To serve, place shredded chicken and sauce on top of a tortilla and top with avocado, cheese, and a bit of onion.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos - Pinterest