Peking Duck Noodle Soup
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Serves 2
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1 cooked Peking Duck carcass
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1 litre/2.1pints water
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1/2 duck breast
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1/2 bunch of choy sum
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4 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water for 10 minutes
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2x200g/7oz packets of udon noodles
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a few drops of sesame oil
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ground white pepper
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Thai basil leaves (you'll use these for the Peking Duck pizza too)
Step 1 - In a pressure cooker or a large pot or even a slow cooker, heat the water and add the duck carcass to it making sure that the duck is fully submerged in water (you can cut or break it up to make it fit too). If you're using a pressure cooker, set the pressure on medium and set for one hour. If you're using a pot on a stovetop simmer this for three hours with the lid on. If you're using a slow cooker, cook it for 8 hours. Place the choy sum in the cooker once the soup is done and it will wilt and cook (it doesn't need long).
Step 2 - When ready, taste the soup for flavour. It may need a little extra salt. Remove the carcass and when cooled a bit, with gloved hands remove any excess meat from the bones. It should come off very easily.
Step 3 - Take two packets of udon and place the noodles in a bowl and pour some water from a recently boiled kettle over them and leave them for 30-60 seconds. You can also make your own udon but that's a time consuming process (but delicious, the recipe for home made udon is here).
Step 4 - Drain the noodles, add them to two serving bowls dividing them in two (I put them in one large serving bowl) and then add the mushrooms, two to a bowl and the leftover meat that you've removed from the carcass. Pour the fragrant, hot and seasoned duck broth over the udon-it will smell wonderful and rich. Slice the duck breast thinly and add the pieces on top of the soup and then add some Thai basil leaves. Add some drops of sesame oil and white pepper.