I think people are intimidated about cooking duck — me included, to some extent. All the talk about rendering the fat, getting a good sear, not to mention duck confit (something I have yet to tackle) can make duck seem like something better left to the professionals.

But I finally got fed up with the intimidation of it all and became determined to find an easy way to get some duck satisfaction at home. And I found that it’s really not that hard at all! At least not in this quick Southest Asian-inspired treatment. Many grocery stores sell good quality packaged, boneless duck breasts (often labeled “magret”), and that’s what I use here. The breast is grilled, unadorned, fat side down, then sliced and doused with an aromatic, chili-spiked dressing. The only caveat is to keep an eye on the grill for flame-ups — that duck fat will drip! I tend to grill on indirect heat (off to the side of the flame) to avoid excessive flares.

Pair this dish with a dry, crisp rosé like the ones from Provence for a delicious, easy supper.

Recipe: Grilled Duck Salad
Serves 2

1 duck breast
2 tablespoons good quality nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1/2 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1 small red Thai chili (or you can use a jalapeno or serrano pepper), finely chopped
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated using a microplane
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 green onion, white part only, thinly sliced
2-3 handfuls seasonal greens (like baby arugula or spinach, mache, romaine hearts, whatever)

Grill the duck breast, fat side down, for about 10 minutes, until cooked to taste. (I like to leave some juicy pink in the center, which also helps avoid overcooking to the point of dryness.) Remove the duck breast to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the dressing together by combining the remaining ingredients, except for the greens, in a bowl large enough to hold the sliced duck.

Spread the greens over a serving platter or two plates.

Slice the duck on the diagonal into thin slices and add to the bowl with the dressing. Toss briefly; arrange duck slices on top of the greens. Drizzle the remaining dressing over all and serve immediately.