Kuaytiaw Pet ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเป็ด Thai Duck Noodle Soup

The ingredients for the broth looking familiar to you? Well you might be thinking of another popular Thai Chinese dish that I posted a while back - five spice pork leg stew or ka muu palo. Both dishes (and many more) migrated south along with the Teowchew coolies more than a century back and are now two of the most loved dishes in Thailand.

The duck is traditionally braised in the aromatic broth (palo in Thai or lu Chinese) but I wanted to be able to enjoy the delicious duck skin as well, something that I have been craving for weeks. Another advantage of roasting the duck is of course the wonderful fat that rendered out during the roasting process, well more about that later.

To make sure the aromatic broth is also rich and meaty; I have added a few roasted duck necks to the stock pot, they can be purchase from any Chinese bbq restaurants for next to nothing. Be patient and allow the broth to simmer very slowly for a few hour while you prepare the rest of the components for the dish. 

serves 4 to 6 as a one dish meal

you'll need;

1 whole duck, excess fat removed 

2 tbs of hoisin sauce

1 tbs of light soy

1 tsp of 5 spice powder

1 packet of rice sticks noodles, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained well

2 cups of bean sprouts

2 spring onions, chopped

3 stalks of coriander chopped (roots reserved for stock)

garlic oil and fried garlic
4 to 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved

condiments sets to serve

for the stock;

4 l of stock

3 coriander roots, bashed

4 slices of galangal

1 tbs of white peppercorns

1 cassia bark

2 Thai cardamon pods

3 star anise

1 tsp of coriander seeds

reserved duck bones
3 roasted duck necks*

1/2 cup of rock sugar

1/3 cup of dark soy

1/4 cup of light soy

1/4 cup of fish sauce
*available from your local Chinese bbq restaurants

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, blanch duck for 2 minutes, remove and pat dry including the cavity. Mix hoisin sauce, soy and 5 spice powder and rub the mixture all over the duck including the cavity. Place duck uncovered in the fridge overnight or place it on a wire rack in front of a fan for 2 to 3 hours.

Place duck in the hot over breasts side up and roast at 240 C for 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 180 C and continue to cook for 25 minutes.

Rest duck for 15 minutes before separating the meat from the bones. Reserving all bones for the broth.

Place all ingredients for broth in a large pot cover and simmer on very low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours.

While the waiting for the broth, prepare the garlic oil/crispy garlic. and the rest of the toppings.

Prepare the condiments - normally consists of chili in vinegar, chili in fish sauce, dried chili flakes and sugar.

Blanch noodles and bean sprouts and drain well.

Pour some broth over, top with some duck pieces and the rest of the toppings. Serve with the condiments on the side.