Pressure cooker duck noodle soup
Duck legs paired with umami-rich dried mushrooms give a wonderful depth to this noodle broth. Using the pressure cooker extracts maximum flavour from the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs
- 40g/1½oz dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 large leek, halved
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 large carrot, halved
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 star anise
- 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 200g/7oz pak choi, halved
- 200g/7oz mixed fresh mushrooms (such as shimeji, enoki, shiitake, oyster)
- 4 portions of wheat noodles or ramen noodles
- small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 2 red chillies, finely sliced
Method
Put the duck legs in a cold non-stick frying pan, skin-side down. Place the pan over a medium–low heat and cook for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until the fat has rendered and the skins are browned.
Add 2 litres/3½ pints water to the pressure cooker. Add the duck legs, shiitake mushrooms, leek, onion, carrot, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, salt and peppercorns. Fix the lid on the pressure cooker and place over a high heat until it reaches pressure. Reduce the heat to medium–low and cook for 40 minutes. (If using an electric pressure cooker, use the high pressure setting for 40 minutes.)
Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and leave to depressurise.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift out the duck legs from the broth. Discard the skin and bones, shred the meat and set aside. Lift out the shiitake mushrooms. Remove the tough stalks and discard, then slice the mushrooms and set aside.
Strain the broth through a fine strainer and return to the pan over a medium heat. Season with the soy sauce and fish sauce to taste. Add the pak choi and simmer in the broth for 2 minutes. Lift out and set aside. Add the mixed mushrooms to the broth and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until tender. Remove and set aside.
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under plenty of cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch.
To serve, divide the noodles between four large soup bowls. Top with the duck meat, sliced shiitake, poached mushrooms and pak choi. Pour over 350ml/12fl oz of the hot broth and garnish with coriander, spring onions and red chilli.