TONIGHT’S SPECIAL

specialTonight’s recipe CASSIE BEST photograph HAYLEY BENOIT Hot, cold, sweet, salty, soft, crunchy and sticky – this salad has it all. Make it for a special dinner for two

Duck & watermelon noodle salad

SERVES 2 PREP 20 mins COOK 1 hr 15 mins EASY

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 each of mint and coriander, leaves picked 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced For the dressing 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

1 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 1/2 tsp salt, and roast for 1 hr. Meanwhile, mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl and season. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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.

GOOD TO KNOW vit c • iron • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 787 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 7g • carbs 75g • sugars 35g • fibre 3g • protein 53g • salt 2.7g