Best Duck Udon Soup Recipes

CRISPY DUCK RAMEN IN TONKOTSU BROTH

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over high heat and add the Duck Confit. Let the duck cook, undisturbed, until crispy on one side, then flip with a spatula and crisp on the reverse side, about 6 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the shiitakes and takana. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the Tonkotsu Broth and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, bring some water to a rolling boil in a stockpot and add the ramen. Cook for 60 seconds, then drain and add directly to the simmering broth. Cook the broth and ramen for an additional minute, stirring. (I like to use chopsticks here -- they're a great tool, and why not keep it authentic!) Transfer the ramen and broth to a bowl and top with the crispy duck and soft-boiled egg. Garnish with the bok choy, green onions and sesame seeds. Slurp and enjoy!
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the duck quarters with the salt and add them to a 4-inch-deep roasting pan. Add the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Add the blended oil and duck fat to the pan so that the duck quarters are submerged in oil.
• Cover the pan and roast until the meat is falling off the bone, about 3 hours. Remove from the oven; let cool for 15 minutes before straining the duck. Pick the duck meat, discarding the skin, bones, garlic, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves, and being careful not to leave any bones.
• Set aside until ready to use; refrigerate if using later.
• Fill a stockpot two-thirds full with water; add the pork trotters and chicken bones. Boil the bones until red blood ceases to come out of them, about 20 minutes. Strain the bones and clean the pot. Thoroughly rinse the bones, removing any residual blood.
• Add the rinsed bones to the stockpot and fill with water to cover. Bring to a boil, skimming off any residual foam that rises to the top. Add the scallion ends, garlic, mushroom stems, ginger and salt. Cover and simmer until the broth is flavorful, 3 to 4 hours, checking the water level occasionally and adding water as necessary to make sure the bones remain covered.
• About 30 minutes before the broth is finished cooking, add the ground pork fat and continue to simmer.
• Strain the broth into a large stockpot and skim off any excess fat. Set aside until ready to use.

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.

UDON NOODLE SOUP (KAKE UDON)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, add the dashi, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and salt.
• Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Once the broth is simmering, remove it from the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside.
• Follow your mentsuyu bottle instructions to make the broth.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the water, mentsuyu, and mirin. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water comes to a full rolling boil, add udon noodles and cook according to the package instructions. For fresh homemade udon, separate and untangle the strands of noodles with your hands, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Using chopsticks, stir the noodles so they won't stick on the bottom of the pot.
• Drain the noodles into a colander and run under cold water.
• Once the noodles are cool enough to touch, rinse the starch off. Then change the faucet to hot water and run hot water to warm up the noodles.
• Serve the hot udon noodles in individual bowls. Pour hot broth over the noodles and top with chopped green onions and optional shichimi togarashi.

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.

MAKE-IT-YOUR-OWN UDON NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Prepare noodles according to package directions, and drain. Toss with a teaspoon of sesame, olive, vegetable or canola oil to prevent them from sticking together, and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it shimmers, and sauté the grated ginger and garlic until you smell it (less than a minute). Do your best not to burn it. Add 2 cups of stock to the pot. Be careful - it might splatter.
• Bring the stock to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer (about medium-low). Add carrots (or any hard, root vegetables, if using), and cook until they are crisp-tender, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add tofu or any vegetables (except spinach), and cook until tender but still bright in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat, and cover to keep warm.
• In a small pot, heat the remaining 1 cup of stock until it steams. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the miso paste until the miso is completely dissolved, then pour the entire miso mixture into the pot with the soup. (If using soy sauce instead of miso, skip this part and add the rest of the stock and soy sauce.) Stir in the cooked noodles and fresh spinach, if using, and heat through over medium-low, if necessary. Do not bring the soup to a boil with the miso: Some cooks believe this can ruin the miso's delicate flavor. Top as desired and season additionally, if desired, with soy sauce.

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.