3 Ripe, but firm, avocados 1 qt Water Juice of 1 lemon The breast and thigh meat -from a whole roasted -duckling 6 md Oranges, peeled and -segmented Lettuce leaves 1/4 c Chopped pecans or toasted -sliced almonds 6 tb Mayonnaise 2 tb Frozen undiluted orange -juice, defrosted Parsley sprigs Orange wedges (optional) 1. Peel the avocados, cut them in half, and immediately dip them in the water with the lemon juice added to keep them from discoloring. 2. Be sure the duck meat is skinless and boneless. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. 3. Mix the duck meat with the orange segments. Divide into six portions. Fill the avocado halves, which have been placed on a platter lined with crisp lettuce leaves, with the portions of meat and oranges. 4. Mix the concentrated juice with the mayonnaise and spoon this over each stuffed avocado. Top each with the nuts. Decorate with parsley sprigs and orange wedges. CHEF'S SECRET: Always peel the avocado first and then cut it in half. This is important, because if avocados are ripe enough to be eaten, the halves would be mashed during the peeling process. If you leave the pits in after halving the avocados and dipping them in the lemon water, you can wrap the avocados in plastic wrap and keep them all day in the refrigerator. They won't discolor. You can give this dish an oriental flavor by mixing 1 tbs. soy sauce into the 6 tbs. mayonnaise, replacing the orange with canned tangerine segments, and grinding some roasted sesame seeds over the dish. (The sesame seeds are available in very bandy little plastic throw-away grinders in grocery stores carrying oriental foods.) When using the canned tangerine segments, you can greatly improve the taste by pouring off the canned syrup, rinsing the segments quickly in cold water, then transferring them to a plastic container. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over them and, if you like, add 1 or 2 tbs. brandy and enough water to cover. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Makes 6 servings. From "The Chef's Secret Cookbook", Louis Szathmary, Quadrangle Books, Chicago. 1972. Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; March 14 1993.
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