Understanding My Ingredients

Duck Pho

I believe that you have to know your ingredients well to know it's full potential

Febuary

4 months ago I bought 2 ducklings so that in 3 months, just in time for my birthday, I will make a duck dish for my birthday.

March

May

April

I monitored it's food and gave them only the best. I allowed them to graze and swim around in the small pond and garden that we had in our back yard, a mini farm.

Then came the month of my birthday. I thought maybe I shouldn't do it anymore, specially cause my sister actually named them. But I thought, if I didn't do it then I shouldn't eat duck anymore.

To cut the long story short of the debate in my head, weather or not to kill or not to kill, I eventually did.

But It wasn't until July that I had to courage to actually cook them. So it was just in the freezer sitting there waiting to be cooked. What it was going to be though wasn't too difficult to decide. Considering that they move a lot, which means that their meat is tough but very very flavorful, and that their feeds are very high in protein, I thought the best way to use it's meat is to make a rich soup. So I decided to make Duck pho.

Pho is originally beef but I thought duck is robust enough to hold it's own, flavor wise. What takes time is the broth which I simmered for 3 hours. So I will separate this recipe into 2 days, the broth and the finishing.

DAY 1

First you need to get the thigh part and the breast part (Photo Left) and put it in the freezer. You will need this tomorrow for when you are ready to serve it.  Then the rest of the carcass including the wings is place in a stock pot filled with enough water to be 2 inches above the bones. you should have about 2 kg worth of bones (Photo Right). Put over high heat and wait for it to boil

Meanwhile prepare the spices and aromatics

Ingredients:

5 Star Anise

15 Cloves

1 Cinnamon Stick

5 Cardamom Pods

Toast all of these spices over a hot pan.

2 Onions

1 Ginger Root 4" x 1" x 1/2"

Toast over griller or direct flame until charred

Slight wash the ginger and onion to take out the lose charred skin. Then slice both  in half.

2 Heaping Tbsp. of Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Fish Sauce

Photo L-R:

1.) When it start to boil, keep it boiling for 5 minutes. This will help make a clearer broth.

2.) Strain out the bones and wash thoroughly. Clean the stock pot, making sure there is no residue from the duck left.

3.) Put the bones back and pour about a gallon of water in with the bones.

Photo L-R

1-2) Add the charred onions and ginger together with the rest of the spices.

3-4) Add the 2 heaping Tbsp of Sugar and the 1/4 cup of fish sauce.

Put it over high heat and wait for it to boil

 Photo L-R

1.) When it boils lower the heat to a simmer. 10 minutes in the simmering

2.) 3 hours worth of simmering. The color has darkened and the liquid has reduced to about 3/4 of the original amount.

3.) Strain the broth and let it cool for an hour before putting in the chiller overnight.

DAY 2

Photo L-R

1.) Skim out the fat that has formed whiles in the chiller.

2.) You can store some of the stock in containers and freeze them for future use. It should last for about 6 months in the freezer.

3.) Choose weather you want to use thigh or breast meat. Score the skin so that you can render the fat properly . Season the meat with salt.

4.) In a very very hot pan, sear the skin of the duck to a crisp. Then set aside.

Prepare the condiments.

Ingredients:

Traditionally it would just be

• Rau Ram (Vietnamese Mint)
• Basil
• Bean Spouts
• Chili, thinly sliced
• White onions, thinly sliced
• Lime
• Hoisin Sauce
• Sriracha

But I also added some chopped chives, tamyao (sweat pea sprout), and Enoki mushrooms.

When you are ready to plate, your station should have everything prepared similarly to what I have here

On the upper left corner I have boiling water ready for your noodles, on the lower left is the broth I prepared in a roaring boil with seasoning adjusted to my taste, the upper right is reheating and crisping of he duck and the lower right is the noodles ready for when I start plating.

Photo L-R

1.) A hand full of the noodles should be enough for one serving. I am using fresh noodles but if you only have dry ones you will need to soak your rice noodles in water for a few minutes.

2.) Dip the noodles in the boiling water for 10-15 seconds. just enough to soften it a little. the broth will finish cooking the noodles.

3.) Shake as much liquid off your noodles and put it in the bowl.

4.) Pour hot broth over your noodles

Top the pho with the duck meat and serve while piping hot with the condiments.