Five-spice duck noodles

Aromatic five-spice powder is used extensively in Hong Kong cuisine and is beautiful as a seasoning for fatty duck meat.

Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  2

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts
• salt, to taste
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 150 g dried Chinese egg noodles
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tsp finely grated ginger
• 1 bunch baby pak choy, trimmed, quartered lengthwise
• 1 tbsp honey mixed with 1 tbsp warm water
• 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Score the skin side of the breast diagonally with a sharp knife. Season both sides with salt, then with five-spice powder. Place the duck breasts, skin-side down in a large cold frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 7 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the skin from getting too dark too quickly. Turn and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and rest for 10 minutes. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of duck fat from the pan.
2. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and toss with the sesame oil.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and pak choy to the frying pan with the duck fat and toss over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the noodles, honey mixture, soy sauce and spring onions, toss until heated through and well combined, then remove from heat.
4. Divide the noodles between 2 shallow bowls. Slice the duck breast, place on top of the noodles and spoon over any remaining sauce from the pan.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.