DUCK & WATERMELON NOODLE SALAD

Duck & watermelon noodle salad image

Make a special dinner for two with this duck and watermelon noodle salad. Hot, cold, sweet, salty, soft, crunchy and sticky - this salad has it all

Provided by Cassie Best

Categories Dinner

Time 1h35m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 duck legs
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp five-spice
100g flat rice noodles (or 2 nests)
¼ small watermelon (about 250g), cut into bite-sized pieces
small bunch of mint, leaves picked
small bunch of coriander, leaves picked
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp honey, plus a drizzle for roasting
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp black rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated

Steps:

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the duck legs on a baking tray and rub with the oil, five-spice and ½ tsp salt, and roast for 1 hr. Meanwhile, mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl and season.
Remove the tray from the oven and pour any fat into a mug (save this to make fantastic roast potatoes). Spoon 1 tbsp of the dressing over each duck leg, then drizzle with a little extra honey (about 1 tsp per leg). Return to the oven for another 15 mins, brushing any sticky sauce that drips off the duck back onto the skin after 8-10 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to rest while you prepare the noodles.
Boil the kettle and put the noodles in a large bowl. Pour over enough hot water to cover, then leave to stand for 3-5 mins until soft. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Shred the duck meat and skin with two forks - it should easily pull away from the bone. Toss the noodles in any sticky, fatty juices left on the tray used for the duck.
Arrange the noodles on a platter. Top with the watermelon, duck, herbs and chilli, pour over the remaining dressing and toss together just before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 787 calories, Fat 30 grams fat, SaturatedFat 7 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 75 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 35 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 53 grams protein, Sodium 2.7 milligram of sodium