Sesame Peanut Noodles with 5-Spice Marinated Duck (or Beef)

Ingredients

• Serves 4
• 2 Magret Duck Breast (or substitute 2 lbs/1kilo skirt steak)
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
• For the sesame peanut noodles
• 16 Ounces (450 g) Asian egg noodles or soba noodles (regular spaghetti noodles will work too)
• ¼ Cup smooth peanut butter
• ¼ Soy sauce
• 3 Cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon Srirachi
• Chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves and chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
• A handful or two of any of the following raw veggies:
• Finely sliced Napa cabbage
• Finely sliced red cabbage
• Finely sliced green onions
• Grated carrots
• Sliced cucumber
• Sliced cherry tomatoes
• Spiralized zucchini, beets or sweet potato

Instructions

1. Stir the marinade ingredients together in a wide, shallow bowl. Score the skin of the duck breast in a 1-inch crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat. Add the breast and turn in the marinade mixture to completely coat. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinade 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
2. To make the dressing for the noodles, place all the ingredients in a blender except for the coriander and peanut garnish and process until smooth. Taste and add extra soy sauce or rice wine vinegar if needed. The sauce should be thin enough to drizzle, if you think it is too thick, add a tablespoon or so of water.
3. Cook your noodles according to the packet, drain and rinse in cold water. (Rinsing in cold water stops the cooking and washes off excess starch that makes the noodles sticky.)
4. Put the noodles and your choice of any of prepared raw vegetables in a bowl and toss with the dressing to evenly coat. Garnish with the chopped coriander and peanuts and set aside.
5. To cook the duck, heat oven to 350° F (180° C) Remove from the marinade. Place skin side down in an heavy-bottomed oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Cook until the skin is browned and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. As excess fat accumulates, drain into a heatproof bowl. Turn the duck and place the skillet in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes to finish cooking. When done, transfer to a cutting board; cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
6. If using beef, remove the steak from the marinade and either cook on a grill or heat a heavy bottom skillet with neutral oil and brown meat on both sides then finish cooking in the oven.
7. Serve the sliced duck or beef alongside the noodles for a very satisfying lunch or dinner.