Vietnamese Duck Breast with Noodles

• 2 duck breasts
• Sea salt

For the salad

• 200g rice noodles
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced into rings
• 1 ripe mango, diced approx 1cm
• 1 finely diced red pepper
• Small sprig of coriander, leaves removed
• Small sprig of mint, leaves removed

For the dressing

• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• Juice of 2 limes, plus a few lime wedges to garnish
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation

1. Pre-heat an oven to 220°C, Fan 200°, gas mark 6 then prepare the salad, dressing and noodles. To prepare the dressing combine and mix all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside. To prepare the salad combine and mix all of the salad ingredients, minus the noodles, lime wedges and coriander, in a bowl and set aside. Then cook the noodles (as per the packet instructions), before plunging into cold water and draining and set aside.

Cooking the duck breast

1. Score the skin on the duck breasts six to eight times with a sharp knife and season on both sides with sea salt.
2. Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a pan on a low to medium heat (no oil) and cook for about 6 minutes or until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn the breasts over and quickly seal. After pouring off any excess fat put the duck in a roasting tray skin-side down and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 10-20 minutes depending on how you like your duck, from rare to well done.
3. Remove the duck from the oven and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.
4. Duck breast cooking times: 10 minutes Rare 15 minutes Medium 20 minutes Well done
5. All ovens vary in performance, this is a guide only.

Putting everything together

1. Set aside two tbsp of dressing (for garnishing later).
2. Place the duck breasts and their juices into the remaining dressing and mix. Set aside for five minutes before removing the breasts from the dressing and placing them on a chopping board.
3. Take the drained noodles and toss them with a little oil and lightly season.
4. Add the dressing and salad and mix well before dividing onto serving plates.
5. Finely slice the duck and place on top of the salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top and garnish with lime wedges and coriander.