Main Soup

Peking Duck Udon Noodle Ramen

Delicious, umami, fragrant and refreshing, this easy-to-make Peking noodle broth is fresh, light and delicate and compliments the rich deep flavour of the duck breast perfectly. For a slight warming kick add a red chilli to the broth – seeded or deseeded depending on your tolerance to heat. Shared and written by Taishon’s Co-founder and Development Chef Nic Cleeve – this recipe features their fabulous Great British Award-winning Peking sauce – just one of many delicious recipes that the sauce can be used to create.

10 minutes prep, 20-25 minutes cook

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the broth

5 star anise

1 6-inch cinnamon stick

2 tsp Chinese five spice

1lt cold water

2 chicken stock pots

4 tbsp Taishon Peking Sweet & Savoury Sauce

1 large red chilli

For the noodles and vegetables

150g dried udon noodles (or 2 portions)

4 baby corn

6 shiitake mushrooms

8 mangetout

4-6 pak choi leaves

6 bamboo shoots (tinned)

For the protein

2 Gressingham duck breasts

Dash of Taishon Peking Sweet & Savoury Sauce

2 large free-range eggs, room temperature

Garnish

Handful of grated carrot

Handful of edamame beans

2 spring onions

Handful of coriander

1-2 large red chillies

Method

For the duck. Remove your duck from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking to bring it up to room temperature and lightly salt the skin side. Preheat your oven or air fryer to 190C. Place the duck breast into a cold wok skin side down.

On a medium heat, slowly render down the duck fat, you want the skin to crisp and turn golden brown – this should take 5-7 minutes.

Once done, turn the duck breast and seal the other side for approximately 1 minute, not forgetting to seal the sides. Setting a timer, remove the duck breast and place into the air fryer or oven and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush over some Taishon's Peking Sauce, then allow the duck to rest for 5-8 minutes. Leave the duck fat in the wok and remove from the heat.

For the noodles. In a bowl, soak the noodles in boiling water for 5 mins, stirring halve way. Drain and set aside. The noodles will still have a little bite to them, but that is ok as they will finish cooking in the hot broth.

For the eggs. For the perfect soft-boiled egg, fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs and bring to the rolling simmer. Once the water has reached temperature, gently lower the eggs into the water and cook for 6 minutes. Drain away the boiling water and then pour cold water from the tap into the saucepan over the eggs until they are cool enough to hold. Set aside.

For the broth. Into the wok with the duck fat, add the star anise, cinnamon stick and Chinese five spice and turn on to a low to medium heat until the spices star to release their aroma. Next carefully add to the saucepan 1 litre of cold water, the chicken stock pots and 4 tablespoons of Taishon’s Peking Sweet and Savoury Sauce. Finally add optional red chilli (with or without the seeds) and stir thoroughly ensuring that the chicken stock pot has dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Next, wash and prepare the vegetables. Top, tail and slice the baby corn in half lengthways. Brush the mushrooms to remove any grittiness. top and tail the mangetout. Trim the pak choi leaves and thinly slice the bamboo shoots into thin batons.

Next wash and prepare the garnish. You can buy pre-grated carrot and ready to eat edamame beans from most supermarkets. If you are using frozen edamame beans, simply soak them in boiling water for 4 minutes to defrost them. Thinly slice the spring onions and red chilli and roughly chop the coriander. Set aside.

To finish and assemble the dish. Remove the red chilli, star anise and cinnamon stick from the broth and discard, then skim off and discard any froth from the surface.

Place the noodles in the centre of two ramen bowls, then into the same bowls add the baby corn, shitake mushrooms, mangetout, pak choi and bamboo shoot batons.

Peel and halve the soft-boiled eggs and add into the bowls along with some grated carrot, edamame beans and spring onions. The thinly slice the rested duck breast and place on top of the noodles.

Meanwhile bring the broth up to a rapid boil. Once bubbling and boiling hot, ladle the broth over the duck, vegetables and noodles until the noodles and vegetables are submerged.

Finally add some additional spring onions, chopped coriander and a couple of slices of fresh chilli to suit your preferred taste.

Sit back, slurp and enjoy!