Duck Breast and Red Cabbage Noodle Salad with Shiro Miso Dressing

Salad ingredients:

3 x 150g-200g fresh duck breasts, skin on (or 4 if you are expecting really hungry guests)
2 x 90g bundles of soba noodles
3 cups of finely shredded red cabbage
3 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
1-2 medium red chillies, sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 cup coriander leaves
1 tbsp. black sesame seeds (Available from Asian supermarkets)
1/2 cup roasted cashews or or almonds for extra crunch (optional)
sea salt flakes

Shiro Miso Dressing (White Miso)

1/4 cup tamari (or use soy sauce instead)
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tsp shiro miso
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger

Cooking the duck:

Score the skin of each duck breast diagonally, and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. If you have time, pour boiling water over the skin and place, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight. According to Maggie Beer, am Aussie icon, this allows the pores to open and helps the fat under the skin to render beautifully during the cooking. However if you are short of time, just 10 minutes does help.

Preheat the oven to 200 deg.C. Heat a heavy based frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper and place skin-side down in the pan to sear. Leave until well browned, then turn over and sear the other side for 1 minute. Transfer to the oven and cook for another 4 minutes, then remove and leave to rest covered, skin side down, in a warm place for a least 5 minutes.Cut into 1 cm thick slices.
Meanwhile prepare the noodles according to packet directions and drain and rinse very thoroughly and allow to cool.

Make the miso dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a jug until smooth.