(fake) duck, noodle and cabbage salad with spicy miso dressing

Here is another Southeast Asian style rainbow coloured salad - I can't seem to get enough of them. This one is much more substantial, a meal in itself.

Mock duck can be made of yuba (tofu skin) or wheat gluten, and it is actually pretty brilliant. The wheat gluten kind can be found in most health food shops. I used the yuba kind, and found it in the epic Chinese supermarket Wing Yip near Staples Corner. I had such a brilliant day out there with the fabulous Debbie, and I highly recommend a visit if you are a curious foodie like me.

serves 4-6

2 portions soba (buckwheat) noodles

pack or can of fake duck - or real duck, or chicken

half a red cabbage, shredded

Chinese leaves - about 5 big ones, shredded

1 large carrot, shredded - I used a julienne peeler

half a red onion, finely sliced

2 spring onions, white and greens, shredded

handful roasted, salted cashews, roughly chopped

Leaves from 2 stalks of fresh mint, shredded

small handful sugar snap peas or mangetout, thinly-ish sliced lengthways

dressing

1 level tbsp light miso

1 clove garlic, crushed

lump of fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped (I took the seeds out)

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp rice vinegar

1/2 tbsp rice wine

1 tsp honey

Cook noodles for 1 minute less than packet instructions - stirring with a fork to make sure they don’t completely stick together. Drain and refresh in cold water. Work a little bit of sesame or flavourless oil through them to make sure they don’t try and stick together again (some still will).

Mix up the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or glass (or mug).

Cook, warm or crisp your chosen form of 'duck' in the oven.

If you wanted to be fancy you could have the noodles surrounded by a ring of veggies, topped with the 'duck' and cashews and drizzled with the dressing - on individual plates or a tasteful large plate, or a roofing tile or something. Or you could just mix it all together in a big bowl, which was what I did. And then eat pretty much half of it standing in the kitchen, contemplating your own brilliance. As I also did.