Description
It's a popular Thai street food for a reason! Duck legs are braised until tender in a flavourful, rich five-spice broth and served over noodles. It's the ultimate comfort food, and the broth can be made in advance and enjoyed throughout the week!
Ingredients
The Broth
- 8 inches cinnamon stick
- 2 pc star anise
- 8 slices galangal
- 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
- 8-inches pandan leaf (optional)
- 10-12 goji berries (optional)
- ½ tsp sichuan peppercorns
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock, or water
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ - 1 Tbsp black soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp palm sugar
- 4 pieces bone-in duck hindquarter (leg and thigh combo)
- ~ 1 cup water or as needed
- ½ tsp ground white pepper or more to taste
Noodle Soup Components
- 220 g fresh egg “wonton” noodles, thin (if using different types of noodles, you will need to adjust the weight according to the type of noodles you use)
- Cilantro or celery leaves, chopped
- Bean sprouts
- Green leaf lettuce, torn into chunks (or other greens you prefer)
- Fried garlic & garlic oil (optional, but recommended, recipe follows)
- Chili vinegar (optional, recipe follows)
Fried Garlic & Garlic oil (You can make this in advance and keep in fridge)
- 1 head of garlic, chopped (for fried garlic)
- About 1/4 cup of neutral flavoured oil (for fried garlic)
Chili Vinegar (You can make this in advance and keep in fridge)
- Spicy chili peppers of your choice, you can use Thai chilies, serranos, jalapenos, or habaneros.
- 2 cloves garlic
- White vinegar, ¼-½ cup as needed to blend
Instructions
Chop 1 head of garlic and add to a small pot or pan. Add just enough of the neutral flavoured oil to cover the garlic, then fry on low heat (gentle bubbling) until the garlic is golden and the bubbling has subsided. Be careful not to let the garlic get too brown or it will become bitter. Strain the garlic from the oil. You can keep them separately in the fridge in an airtight container for several weeks.
(Watch this video @ 7:13 for a quick visual of this being made). Cut the chilies in half and place on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down. Place the whole garlic cloves on the sheet as well and broil on “high” until the chilies are charred in spots and the garlic cloves are browned. Transfer to a blender, add just enough of the vinegar to blend, and blend until there are no more big chunks.
Toast the cinnamon, star anise, coriander seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns in a dry saute pan over medium high heat until the coriander seeds darken slightly and the spices are aromatic. Set aside.
Add chicken stock to a pot, then add all the herbs, spices, and seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then add the duck. Add just enough water to keep the duck covered, then bring it to a gentle simmer again, cover and let cook over low heat for about 2 hours or until the duck is fork tender.
One the duck is tender, skim off the fat from the surface along with any spices that are floating. If making this in advance, you can cool the soup, refrigerate until cold, and the fat will congeal on the surface and it will be easy to scoop off. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt as needed.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, tear lettuce into bite-size chunks and line the bottom of each serving bowl.
Once water comes to a full boil, blanch the egg noodles for about 1.5-2 minutes, then remove from water and drain off as much water as you can and place in serving bowl. Blanch the bean sprouts in the same pot for 10-15 seconds, then place them in serving bowls. Place one piece of duck and about 1 cup of broth over the noodles. Drizzle with garlic oil, fried garlic, chili vinegar, white pepper, and chopped cilantro or celery leaves.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!