Ingredients

• ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 x 175g/6 oz duck fillets
• skin on
• 1 litre/35fl oz chicken stock
• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
• soaked in 200ml hot water for 20 minutes
• 100g/4oz Chinese leaf
• shredded
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 200g/8oz flat udon noodles
• cooked
• 3 spring onions
• sliced on the diagonal
• 40g/2oz bean sprouts
• 1 large handful coriander
• roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place all of the marinade ingredients into a shallow bowl and mix well to coat the duck. Marinate for as long as you can - preferably overnight
• but anything more than 20 minutes will do.
• Heat a dry frying pan until just warm. Place the duck skin-side down and cook for 8-10 minutes
• until golden brown.
• Turn up the heat
• turn over the duck and cook for a further minute until crisp.
• Transfer to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and rest for five minutes
• before slicing.
• For the noodle soup
• pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the shiitake mushrooms and their soaking liquid
• and the Chinese leaf.
• Add the light soy sauce
• rice wine
• rice vinegar and udon noodles to the pan. Bring to the boil.
• Scatter over the chopped spring onions
• bean sprouts and coriander. Season to taste.
• To serve
• ladle some of the noodle soup into a bowl
• place the duck breast on top and serve straightaway.