Recipe: Fat Mao’s braised duck noodle soup

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Created by Chef Angus An of Fat Mao Noodles and Maenam fame, this noodle soup recipe is inspired by a similar dish savoured during visits to Thailand.

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“We visit Thailand almost every year to see family and to keep researching new recipes. The first thing we usually eat is this duck noodle soup from a small shop outside our house,” An says.

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“The shopkeepers braise whole ducks and ask if you want breast or leg meat. They also ask which kind of noodles you prefer: wide rice (sen yai), thin rice (sen lek), vermicelli (sen mi), or wonton noodles (sen jin). My favourite combination, reflected in this recipe, is duck leg with wide rice sheets.”

Fat Mao’s braised duck noodle soup

Broth

4 duck legs

12 cups (3 L) water

1/4 cup (60 mL) sliced galangal

4-5 Chinese mushrooms, pre-soaked overnight

2 stalks lemongrass

2 pods Thai cardamom

2 star anise

2 cloves

1-2 pandan leaves

1 small piece cassia bark

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1 strip dried orange peel

1 vanilla bean

2 tbsp (30 mL) rock sugar or palm sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) white peppercorns

4-5 tbsp (60-75 mL) light soy sauce

3 tbsp (45 mL) dark soy sauce

In a heavy 6-quart pot, place the duck legs, 12 cups of water and/or master stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to a low simmer. Periodically skim off any impurities as they appear at the surface. Once the stock is clear, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 hours, until the duck legs are tender.

Remove the duck legs and mushrooms and set aside. Taste the stock — if the flavours need to be intensified, simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Otherwise, remove the stock from the heat and set aside.

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4 cups (1 L) fresh rice sheets

3 tbsp (45 mL) garlic oil

Small handful of fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced Asian celery, to garnish

1/4 cup (60 mL) sliced pak chi farang, to garnish

4 tbsp (60 mL) fried garlic, to garnish

4 tsp (20 mL) toasted chili powder, to garnish

4 tbsp (60 mL) chili vinegar, to garnish

Quickly blanch the rice sheets in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Divide the rice sheets equally into four bowls and season with some garlic oil to separate the noodles and prevent them from clumping.

Place a duck leg and mushrooms atop the rice sheets in each bowl, pour the hot broth over them, and garnish each serving with all the herbs and seasonings. Serve immediately.

Tip: Soak dried mushrooms in cold water, preferably overnight, to reconstitute them. The soaking liquid is often used to enhance taste. Adding a cup of the mushroom liquid to your master stock for this recipe will bump up its depth of flavour.

Serves 4.