Skip to main content

Roast Duck Soft Tacos

4.2

(6)

You've never seen these on the menu at your local fast-food Mexican restaurant, and you probably never will. One of the joys of cooking is that leftovers can be used to create better meals than most people get when they eat out. These tacos are remarkably simple to make. Just put the various ingredients in their own serving containers on the table and let everyone serve themselves.

Cook's Notes:

To roast and peel bell peppers: Cut off the top and bottom of the peppers and cut the peppers into fourths. Remove the seeds and ribs. Place the peppers skin-side down over a high gas flame (or under a preheated broiler, skin-side up) until the skin is black. Place in a plastic or paper bag, close it, and let sit for 10 minutes. Scrape the blackened skin off with a paring knife (don't rinse, or much of the flavor will be lost.

<a name="note2"></a>Hearts of romaine are the crisp leaves in the middle of a head of romaine lettuce.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled (see Cook's Notes)
3 cups thinly sliced hearts of romaine (1 large head; see Cook's Notes)
4 green onions, including green tops, thinly sliced
16 corn tortillas
diced meat from 1/2 Roast Duck with Balsamic Glaze [or other cooked duck meat]
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
1 cup (1/2 pint) sour cream
1 cup prepared salsa

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the peppers into thin slices. In a large serving bowl, combine them with the romaine and green onions. Toss well.

    Step 2

    Preheat an oven to 200°F. Place the tortillas in a covered heatproof container such as a tortilla warmer or a shallow casserole with a lid. Place the tortillas in the oven and heat for 20 minutes.

    Step 3

    Place the duck meat, lime wedges, sour cream, and salsa in separate serving bowls. Let the diners spread a little sour cream on a tortilla, add a little salsa, a little duck, a little lettuce mixture, and squeeze a little lime juice over all. Roll and eat.

Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart and Kathleen Taggart Chronicle Books
Read More
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
Berbere is a spicy chile blend that has floral and sweet notes from coriander and cardamom, and when it’s paired with a honey glaze, it sets these wings apart from anything else you’ve ever had.
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
This cake was created from thrift and was supposedly named after its appearance, which reminded people of the muddy Mississippi River bottom.
This dish is not only a quick meal option but also a practical way to use leftover phở noodles when you’re out of broth.
Cabbage is the unsung hero of the winter kitchen—available anywhere, long-lasting in the fridge, and super-affordable. It’s also an excellent partner for pasta.
Kewpie Mayonnaise is the ultimate secret ingredient to creating a perfect oven-baked battered-and-fried crunch without a deep fryer.