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Smacked Baby Cucumbers with Crispy Duck Legs

Smacked Baby Cucumbers with Crispy Duck Legs

By OcadoLifePublished on 14 August 2022A mouthwatering match, Smacked Baby Cucumbers with Crispy Duck Legs balances a punchy, refreshing salad with full-flavoured roast duck. Chef Johnnie Crowe’s technique for cooking the duck is a great hands-off way of getting tender meat and crisp, golden skin, while ‘smacking’ the cucumbers until they split helps them to soak up the dressing. The salad is lovely on its own too, or alongside fish.
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Time and servings

1 hr 35 minsTotal time
4Servings
20 minsPrep time
1 hr 15 minsCooking time

Ingredients

  • 4 duck legs
  • 50 g of light brown sugar, plus 1 good pinch
  • 50 g of rock salt
  • 600 g of baby cucumbers, smacked with a rolling pin until split, then halved lengthways and sliced into 2-3cm chunks
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced (deseeding optional)
  • 20 g of white sesame seeds, toasted
  • 10 g of black sesame seeds, toasted
  • 20 ml of sherry vinegar
  • 4 salad onions, finely chopped
  • 1 cup of rice (or egg noodles)
  • 20 ml of toasted sesame oil

Method

  • Step 1

    Place the duck legs on a baking tray and sprinkle all over with the sugar and rock salt; cover and chill for at least 8 hrs, or overnight.

  • Step 2

    Remove the duck from the fridge 30 mins before you’re ready to cook. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Wash the salt and sugar off the duck, pat dry with kitchen towel and roast for 1 hr 30 mins, until the skin is crisp and golden.

  • Step 3

    Meanwhile, put your smacked, sliced cucumbers in a large bowl with the chilli. Season with sea salt and a good pinch of brown sugar, then add the sesame seeds, vinegar and oil; toss. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 1 hr, turning them in the juices every so often.

  • Step 4

    Remove the duck from the oven and leave to rest for 5 mins. Add most of the salad onion to the cucumber and mix. Serve the duck with the smacked cucumber, then scatter over the remaining salad onion. Serve with egg noodles or rice, if you like.