Cinnamon Smoked Duck Noodles

I was inspired by this Food52 recipe and swapped out a few ingredients to make it my own #exquisitecourse.

Ingredients:

For the duck and brine:

• 4 cups water

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 tablespoon date syrup

• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

• 1 stick of cinnamon

• 2 duck legs

For the noodles:

• Rice noodles

• coconut aminos

• cilantro paste / chopped green onion

Directions:

1. In a large pot, create a brine for the duck legs: Bring everything but the duck legs to a boil. Once it has reached boil, remove from heat and allow to steep and cool to room temperature. Put the duck legs in a container large enough for them and the brine, and pour the brine over. Allow them to brine for several hours or overnight.

2. When they are good and soaked, remove the legs and pat them dry. Save the brine.

3. Heat a small, heavy skillet that is oven-safe over medium heat. (My 8-inch cast-iron skillet worked great.) Preheat the oven to 325º F.

4. Place the legs in the skillet skin side-down, and allow to slowly brown and render. The trick here is to get a deep golden skin and lots of fat without burning, which works well at a lower heat. Once the skin is golden brown and there is a good amount of fat in the pan, flip the legs over and cover the pan with foil. Pop the pan in the oven and roast the legs until very tender, about 2 hours. Save the duck fat in the pan.

For the noodle bowl:

1. Fill a pot with water, add the leftover brine (ratio should be 1/2 brine 1/2 water), bring to a boil, add the noodles. Drain when ready.

2. Meanwhile slice the duck legs into chunks and cut the crispy skin into smaller pieces

2. Put the reserved duck-fat-pan on medium-high. Add the cooked noodles and the coconut aminos to taste and stir. Depending on how oily you like things, you may want to drain off some of the duck fat before adding the noodles.

4. Add the duck and skin and turn off the heat.

5. Serve with a dollop of cilantro paste (or fresh cilantro, or chopped green onion) salt to taste.