Asian-Style Duck with Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tamari
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 duck, about 4 1/2 pounds
• 3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a roasting pan with foil. Whisk together the tamari, honey, and wine. Set aside.

Rinse the duck, and pat it dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, prick the skin of the duck repeatedly to pierce through the layer of fat that lies underneath the skin, taking care not to puncture the meat. Set the duck, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan; place the garlic cloves and ginger in the cavity. Brush the duck with the tamari sauce, and roast for 1 1/4 hours. Remove the pan from the oven, brush the duck with more tamari sauce, and roast 20 minutes longer. Brush the duck with tamari sauce once more and increase oven temperature to 500 F. Continue roasting the duck until the skin becomes crisp, about another 15 minutes.

Remove the duck from the oven, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Pour the tamari sauce into a saucepan, and whisk in 1/2 cup of pan juices. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer the sauce until reduced by half. Pour the sauce over the carved duck, and serve with Peanut Noodles.

Ingredients for the Peanut Noodles:

• 1/2 pound vermicelli or soba noodles
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup strong black tea
• 1/2- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Dash of pepper sauce
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Prep:

Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking, drain thoroughly, toss with the sesame oil, and set aside.

Put the peanut butter in a small saucepan, and slowly whisk in the tea. Heat the mixture until just melted, promptly remove from the heat, and stir in the ginger, garlic, honey, and pepper sauce.

Just before serving, toss the noodles with the peanut sauce and scallions, using your hands to ensure even coating.

Adapted from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook