Mi Vit Tiem - Braised Duck Noodle Soup
5-6 Servings
0:30 Prep
1:30 Cook
Moderate - You'll be right
This recipe was created in partnership with Aurum Poultry Co.
While most Vietnamese noodle soups such as pho, bun bo hue, and bun rieu get their savoury umami flavour from fish sauce, this popular Vietnamese noodle soup recipe is characterised by its main ingredient; twice-cooked duck.
Mi Vit Tiem (Vietnamese duck noodle soup) contains a whole duck braised in an aromatic Chinese herbal broth, and served with perfectly-cooked fresh egg noodles. The meticulous and delicate preparation of the duck is crucial to its flavour, and using a good quality one such as Aurum Poultry Co’s corn fed duck is key.
This dish has strong South-Chinese influence, and you’ll find many street vendors still selling their family’s recipe in the Chinese quarter in Saigon. In our Cantonese-Vietnamese household, mi vit tiem often appeared in our Vietnamese noodle soup rotation, though not as frequently as pho, bun bo hue or bun mang ga, due to the preparation involved.
There are two critical steps involved in the process that makes for the perfect bowl of mi vit tiem; marinating the duck overnight gives the aromats a chance to seep into the duck, and cooking it twice to allow those flavours to permeate in the broth. In the second step, the duck is first fried in hot oil then slowly simmered in the broth until tender. This technique seals the duck’s flavours and juices, and keeps it intact.
If fragrant and aromatic broths such as pho broth are your thing, grab a corn-fed duck from Aurum Poultry Co. and give this duck noodle soup a go.
Ingredients:
Duck marinade:
1 Moorabool Valley corn-fed duck, chopped into medium pieces
½ teapsoon Chinese Five Spice powder
1 teaspoon anchovy salt
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
Duck noodle soup (Mi vit tiem):
1 small knob ginger
1 bunch coriander stalks
100g lotus seeds, soaked overnight and strained (optional)
50g shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight and strained
130g dried red dates (seedless)
1 tablespoon goji berry
2 pieces dried mandarin peel (optional)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon <anchovy salt> or MSG
4L Pork bone broth, chicken broth or water
1L water
*Alternatively, 3 star anise, 1 small quill cinnamon or cassia bark and 20g rock sugar
Other:
1L cooking oil
1kg fresh egg noodles
1 bunch choy sum or bok choy, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Sesame oil
Method:
How to cook a whole duck:
1. Take 3 handfuls of salt and rub to agitate and clean the duck for 5 minutes, then rinse well.
Duncan’s tip: Cleaning with salt helps to neutralize the duck's gamey flavour.
2. Segment the duck into medium to large pieces: neck, breasts cut in thirds, legs, and place in a large bowl.
3. Marinate duck with marinade ingredients and allow to sit for 30 minutes or, for best results, in the fridge overnight.
4. In a large saucepan, bring oil to 180°C and in batches deep-fry duck for 5 minutes or until golden, then set aside.
Mi vit tiem:
1. In a large stock pot, add the fried duck and duck noodle soup ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer on low for 45 minutes or until duck is tender.
Duncan’s tip: Skim off any excess fat, foam or debris to promote a clear broth.
How to cook egg noodles:
1. Spread a single layer of noodles out on a baking tray and bake in oven for 10 minutes at 40°C. Alternatively, spread out on a large plate and microwave for 1 minute. If using a microwave, you may need to do this in batches.
2. In the meantime, in a large pot of lightly-salted boiling water, blanch the choy sum for 15 seconds then scoop out into a cold water bath and set aside.
Duncan’s tip: Keeping your greens in a cold water bath until required will retain their crispness and vibrant colour.
3. Boil egg noodles in lightly-salted water for 45-60 seconds, then place in a cold water bath for 30 seconds and strain well in serving size batches and set aside.
Let’s make a bowl of mi vit tiem!
1. In a large serving bowl, add a serving of noodles, some duck pieces, an assortment of the soup ingredients, choy sum, and a couple of ladles of soup. Garnish with coriander and ½ teaspoon sesame oil.
Duncan’s tip: Bring broth to the boil prior to serving to enjoy a warm bowl of duck noodle soup.
