Ramen is one of our favorite dinners because there are limitless ways to customize it and duck ramen is one of our favorite varieties because we love the crispy skin and juicy meat! This duck ramen recipe has a couple moving parts but all the individual parts aren’t terribly difficult to accomplish, especially if you have someone helping you out in the kitchen! (Duck ramen date night, anyone?)

GRADE

Serves: 2

Cost: $$

Skill Level: Intermediate

Time to Make: 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR DUCK RAMEN

1 skin-on duck breast

14 ounces fresh ramen noodles

1 large shallot

1/3 cup neutral oil

2 red chili peppers

3 cups chicken stock

4 large mushrooms (shiitake or cremini)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon cut wakame

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons miso paste

FOR SERVING

4 scallions

2 soft-boiled eggs

Enoki mushrooms

METHOD

Prepare Ingredients: Pat the duck dry and score the skin in a cross-hatch pattern. Set aside. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Mince the chili peppers. Trim and thinly slice the mushrooms.

Prepare the Broth: Bring the chicken stock to a boil and stir in the sliced mushrooms, cut wakame, soy sauce, mirin, and minced ginger. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Prepare the Shallot-Chili Oil: In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium until very hot. Add the sliced shallots and cook, stirring regularly (babysit the stove during this, trust me!) for 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove the shallots from the pan and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle the shallots with a touch of sea salt and set aside. Transfer the oil to a heat-proof dish (such as a ramekin) and stir the minced chili pepper into the oil. Season with just a sprinkle of salt and set aside for 30 minutes.

Prepare the Noodles: While the broth is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen according to package instructions. Drain and divide the noodles between bowls. Set aside.

Prepare the Duck: Right before cooking, season the duck all over with salt and pepper. Lay the duck breast, skin-side down, in a cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook without moving for 10-15 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and most of the fat has rendered. Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes for a rare to medium-rare breast. Remove from the skillet and rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.

Prepare any toppings: While the duck breast is cooking, prepare the soft-boiled eggs, thinly slice the scallions, and trim the enoki mushrooms if using.

Finish the Broth: Turn the heat off on the broth. Stir in the sesame oil and the miso paste and stir until the paste has melted into the broth.

To Serve: Ladle the broth over the noodles. Arrange the sliced soft-boiled eggs and enoki mushrooms on the side. Pile the scallions and crispy shallots on top. Drizzle the chili oil all over. Enjoy!

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