Thai Spicy Duck Salad

Ingredients

• For the dressing:
• 2 tablespoons fresh juice from about 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 to 2 small Thai chilies, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
• 1 small red onion, finely sliced
• 3/4 cup diced pineapple
• 1/2 cup packed roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 large duck breast, about 1pound
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Type of fire: two-zone indirect
• Grill heat: medium-high

Directions

1. For the dressing, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and chili in a small bowl and whisk until blended. Leave it nearby while you get everything else going.
2. Put the cashews in a small cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Cook them, shaking or stirring as needed, until they smell toasty and take on a little color, about 4 minutes. Tip them into a medium bowl, then add the onion, pineapple, and cilantro and give it all a toss. Keep the bowl ready.
3. Fill and light 1 chimney of charcoal. Once the coals are fully lit and coated in gray ash, dump them onto 1 side of the charcoal grate. Put the cooking grate on, cover the grill, and let it heat for 5 minutes. Scrub the grate clean and oil it. Cut shallow diagonal slashes through the duck skin every 1/2-inch, then season the breast generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Lay the duck breast over the hot side of the grill with the skin facing down, and cook until the skin is browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn it over and brown the second side, about 4 minutes. Shift the duck to the cooler side of the grill, close the lid, and keep cooking until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast reads 130 degrees. Take the duck off the grill and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Slice the duck thinly, cutting any extra-long pieces in half so they are easy to eat. Add the duck to the bowl with the pineapple mixture, drizzle in the dressing, and toss everything together. Move the salad onto plates and serve immediately.