You get my point, hearty, calorific, stick to the ribs, booze soaking, hangover curing thickness. I just got excited writing this :)
That is, until I had a steamy, aromatic, punchy, cloudy broth made with pork and beef, served over noodles and accompanied by slices of pork, beef, offal, and crunchy deep fried lard, Yummm !!! You can also ask for a swirl of pork blood if you want that extra kick. Its all the right things in just the right package to shake you out of those Chang Beer and SangSom thai whiskey sweats.
Now back at home, and away from the naughty, sweaty, streets of Bangkok, we were trying to re-create the flavour profile without the grind of the original recipe, when Nino came up with the brilliant idea of using roasted duck.
Now Roasted duck soup exists all over Asia, but we were looking for that Boat Noodle flavour, and sort of achieved it. It's a bit of cheating but who the fuck is judging? Just shut up, slurp and swoon in delight and then have this WTF !! moment while watching Jean Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport. Seriously, WTF was he so surprised about?
Those not living in East or SE Asia will find it hard to find roasted duck, unless there is a Chinese or Asian supermarket around you. You can use the roasted duck as you will, just save some of the meat, the legs, all the skin and the carcass for the the soup.
Use glass noodles( aka. cellophane), soak them in hot water or stock till they get soft and pliable (3-5 minutes) and then drain and put them in single serving bowls just before you add the soup. You should be able to find them in just about every Chinese or Asian grocery store or the Oriental section in a decent supermarket. If you shop at Wal-Mart, then you are probably not, I am not judging, but.......
The Recipe: By Nino, minor embellishments by Sid
Roasted Duck Soup with Glass noodles: Thai Boat Noodle Style
- Roasted Duck (Chinese) Whole : Break down the carcass into small 2 inch pieces, cut the skin into 2 inch strips. Cut the breast meat into 1/4 thick slices and keep aside. The Legs should be left whole.
- Cooking Oil: 1 Tablespoon
- Onion: 1 onion rough chopped
- Ginger: scraped add sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- Celery: 2 large stems rough chopped
- Carrots: 2 carrots rough chopped
- Baby Bok Choy: cut lengthways into quarters
- Glass Noodles: 1 pack typically should have 5 servings. 2 packs
- Soy sauce (regular or table): 1 tablespoon
- Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon
- Dark Vinegar: 1 tablespoon (available in any Chinese market)
- Black pepper: 1 teaspoon, adjust as desired
- Salt: to taste after it has cooked down
- Stock: 2 litres of any meat stock, duck prefered, but no fish.
- Bouillon: add a cube or 1 teaspoon of maggi if using water instead of stock
Tableside dressings and garnish.
- Thai Basil: large handfull of leaves
- Red Chili: chopped and added table side as desired
- Fish Sauce (Nam Pla): 1 teaspoon added tableside as desired
- Sprouts: small handful to be added tableside if desired
Servings: 6-10 depending how big your eaters are, this is a light broth, so people can eat in large amounts.
Heat the oil in a stock pot and cook the chopped onion on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the chopped celery, carrots and sliced ginger and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the vegetables get a bit softer. Add the chopped duck carcass, the whole legs and the skin, with any fat stuck to it for added flavour. Cook for another 3-5 minutes and then add the meat stock or water(with bouillon) up to the top of everything in the pot and then add another 2 inches on top. Add the dark and regular soy and then increase the heat, letting it boil for 2 minutes and then reduce to a simmer.
Let the soup simmer down to the level of the vegetables which should take about 30 minutes and then add the vinegar and another 1 inch of stock or water. Once again let the soup simmer down for 15 minutes and then add the pepper and taste to adjust the seasoning. If you prefer a stronger soup, simmer down further, if you like it lighter, stop now.
Strain the liquid through into another pot, pick out the legs and some of the skin and discard the rest. Shred the meat from the legs and discard the bones.
Reheat the strained soup and add the bok choy to cook for 2 minutes. Adjust any seasonings before serving.
For serving, put the soaked and drained cellophane noodles in a single serving bowl, ladle the soup over the top, add the sliced duck breast, bits of skin and shredded leg meat. Add a few chopped chili bits, a splash of Fish Sauce, some sprouts and as much thai basil as you desire.
Once you have taken down a few bowls, walk over to the mirror and gloat.
Please let me know how it went for you, in the comment section.
