Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Oriental Duck Soup

Serves: 4

Notes

Duck have a very poor meat-to-everything-else ratio, meaning that you need quite a big bird to feed a small number of people. The up-side is that there are plenty of leftover bits to make stock and soup. The basic stock I begin with serves for a number of Asian-style dishes and is best made the day before needed.

Ingredients

For basic stock

• 1 duck carcass and leftover meat (app. 1kg total)
• 1 can chicken consommé‚
• 2 Tamari soya sauce
• 2 Tbsp Mirin
• 1 Tbsp dark soya sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 tsp Szechwan pepper

For soup

• 3 or 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1×5cm piece peeled ginger cut lengthways into very thin strips
• 1 Tbsp sweet Thai-style chilli sauce
• 2 cups cooked noodles (such as Hokkein)
• 100g button mushrooms, cooked

Method

The Stock

Chop carcass into 5 or 6 pieces. Put in a pot with other stock ingredients. Add water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for around 45 minutes. Drain, and reduce drained stock over medium heat for 15 minutes. Take any meat left on the carcass and shred. Reserve. Allow reduced stock to cool. Refrigerate overnight. When cold, skim off fat and the stock is ready for use.

The Duck Soup

Bring stock to the boil. Reduce heat and add spring onions, chilli sauce, ginger, bean sprouts and noodles. Allow to warm through. Season to taste and serve.