Smoked Duck Spicy Sesame Noodles with Zucchini

Ingredients:

for the sauce:
1/4 cup "pure" sesame paste*
1/4-1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chile-garlic sauce
1/2 tablespoon hot sesame oil

for the duck:
1 1/2 cold, roasted duck (I used Maple Leaf Farm's Roast Half Duck with Orange Sauce -discarded the sauce packet)
green tea leaves

to serve:
10 oz egg noodles (fresh if possible)
1 zucchini, julienned (or zoodle-d)
slightly crushed Sichuan peppercorns
chopped peanuts (optional)
sesame seeds

Directions:

for the sauce: (can be made a few hours ahead of time)

Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until a smooth, pourable sauce forms, adding additional water if needed.

For the duck:

Prepare grill according to manufacturer's instructions. Toss a handful of green tea leaves on to the coals. Grill the duck to heat it through, about 10 minutes on each side. Cool to around room temperature.

Shred.

for the noodles:

Cook according to package instructions, add a couple drops of hot sesame oil to keep them from sticking and allow to cool.

for the salad: (minutes before serving)

In a large bowl, toss together the noodles, zucchini, and sauce. Top with shredded duck and a mix of other toppings.

* Not tahini, this is made from the whole sesame seed, but you can sub that if needed

My thoughts:

Okay, I really can't claim this recipe is super authentic but it is very good! I wanted to make it with ingredients that were pretty easy to find at any well-stocked grocery store so anyone could make it. Amazon also has a ton of these ingredients very reasonably priced as well which is awesome if you truly are in the middle of nowhere.

Since it's cookout week, I grilled the duck (using already roasted duck speeds the process up so much and it is so easy to add a smoky flavor) and combined it with a creamy, spicy dressed noodle salad. A little unexpected but very good! Cookouts don't just have to be about sandwiches and hot dogs and steaks! Since the duck cooks so quickly, it is easy to make on a weeknight. It's really the perfect dish for someone who likes takeout sesame noodles but who also loves bold flavors.

I admit, I was a little skeptical of heating up the duck on the grill but it was so good! The duck was still incredibly juicy and infused with this amazing tea-smoke flavor. This was one of our favorite dinners in seriously months. I can't wait to make it again!