Duck Noodle Soup

Title: Duck Noodle Soup
Yield: 1

Ingredients

2 tb oyster sauce
1 ts liquid honey or palm sugar
2 tb chopped garlic
1 bowl roasted salted peanuts
2 sl ginger
2 tb fresh coriander leaves
4 shallots
1 200 gram thai rice noodles
1 whole duck
1 oz cepes or shiitake mushrooms
4 chinese cabbage leaves
3 pt chicken stock; made with
-coriander
1 ; stalk and ginger
1 whole chilli; finely sliced

Instructions

In one pan squeeze the cepes. Strain to remove grit and then pour the
juice back over the cepes. Cook for 15 minutes. Peel ginger and add to
the chicken stock along with a teaspoon of honey. Leave to simmer for
half an hour, then fish out the ginger, garlic and coriander stalks.

Shred the duck. In another pan put water to boil in preparation for the
noodles. Add oyster sauce and remaining honey and chopped garlic to
stock. Crush half the peanuts and shred the cabbage leaves. Add to the
stock along with the duck and the cooked mushrooms. Heat through.

Cook the noodles in the boiling water with no salt added. Drain and stir
lightly so as to prevent sticking. Put in bowl and cover with soup.
Sprinkle on top peanuts, chopped coriander coriander leaves, chilli,
shallots and juice.

*** ALTERNATIVELY ***


Ingredients

* Pinch of crushed dried chillies
* 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 2 large duck breasts, skin removed
* 2 litres fresh chicken stock, hot
* 5cm piece fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
* 2 tsp sunflower oil
* 200g dried wholewheat noodles (we like Blue Dragon)
* 1 medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
* Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
* 200g beansprouts
* 4 heads pak choi, roughly chopped
* Handful fresh coriander sprigs
* Dark soy sauce, to serve

1. Lightly grind the crushed chillies in a pestle and mortar, then mix in a shallow dish with the five-spice powder, sugar, some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the duck breasts skinned-side down on the spices. Cover with a plate and weigh down with a few cans. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring the stock and ginger to the boil in a pan. Season with a little salt and keep hot. Bring another pan of lightly salted water to the boil ready for the noodles.

3. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the duck breasts, spice-side down, lower the heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes each side for medium-rare. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain and divide between 4 warm bowls. Sprinkle with the chilli and half the spring onions. Add the beansprouts and pak choi to the chicken stock and cook for 1 minute. Ladle over the noodles.

5. Thinly slice the duck on the diagonal and place on top of the noodle soup. Scatter with the remaining spring onions and coriander sprigs and serve with the dark soy sauce on the side.