Best Duck Udon Soup Recipes

CRISPY DUCK WITH UDON NOODLES

Steps:

• Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Season duck with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down, then turn, until duck is evenly browned (12-15 minutes), reserve fat for another purpose, or discard. Transfer duck to a plate and set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using a Dutch oven, with a heat resistant lid, a 12-inch sauté pan, or a roaster, that can be covered in aluminum foil, put the broth, vinegar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, coriander seeds, 1 chile (chopped or whole), and the 1 cup of water. Add the duck legs, skin side up, cover, and put in oven to braise until tender, about 90 minutes. Gently remove duck to a plate when done, discarding cooking liquid, (the mixture may be cooled and frozen, if making this dish again).
• Make the sauce in a 4-cup pan by boiling the remaining soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, mustard, and chopped scallion, do not reduce, remove from heat, set aside.
• Boil the noodles in lightly salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain, toss with 1 tablespoon oil, set aside.
• Heat a skillet with 2 more tablespoons oil, add remaining chilies (chopped or whole), mushrooms, and cabbage leaves, stir fry until cabbage leaves wilt, 5-7 minutes.
• Add noodles, and 1/2 cup of the reserved sauce, stir, cover to keep warm.
• Over medium-high heat, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet, and fry duck, skin side down, for 4 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from heat, turn duck. Brush with remaining sauce.
• Place servings of warm noodles onto warm plates, and put one serving of duck, over each. Serve at once.

CHINESE DUCK NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Set the broth in a pot and bring it to a bare simmer. Add the ginger and the star anise if using. Add soy sauce to taste.
• Trim the mustard greens to pieces about 4 to 6 inches long. Remove the thickest part of the stalks.
• Bring another pot of water to a boil, and add enough salt to make it taste like the sea. Get a bowl of ice water ready. Boil the mustard greens for 2 minutes, then plunge into the ice water to chill. Remove the greens and lay them on a kitchen towel.
• Now boil the noodles in the same pot; usually this takes 5 minutes, but follow the instructions on the package. Move the noodles to the bowl of ice water to stop them cooking. When they are cold, drain off all the water.
• Carve the roast duck. Carve off the breasts, then slice them. Carve off the legs and wings. If using a wild duck, leave them whole. If using a farmed duck or goose, separate the thigh from drumstick of the leg, and the wing at its joints. Pull of the crispy, lacquered skin from the carcass and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• To serve, put noodles in everyone's soup bowl. Arrange some mustard greens on one side. Sprinkle with chopped green onion and drizzle some sesame oil on top. Arrange some duck, skin side up, on the opposite side to the greens. The moment you are ready to serve, ladle in the hot broth, taking care not to serve the pieces of ginger or anise pods.

PEKING DUCK NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• For the broth: In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Break up the duck bones and sear them on all sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables and continue cooking until caramelized, another 5 minutes. Add the spices and 16 cups water. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 3 hours. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Pass through a sieve and remove the fat. Pour the broth back into the stockpot and reserve for the duck noodle soup.
• For the duck soup: Add the vegetables, the soy sauce and noodles to the stockpot with reserved duck broth and simmer for 1 minute.
• To serve: Slice the duck breasts. Place the noodles in the center of a shallow bowl, top with sliced duck and pour some broth and vegetables into each bowl. Garnish with Thai basil and a slice of lime. Serve with spicy Sriracha sauce.