Photo credit: © Eatwell101.comWhen friends are over and in need of something rich and generous, a nicely spiced and soothing soup is the perfect fix for a meal impromptu. Richly stocked with duck, seafood, vegetables and a load of fragrant spices, this hearty soup is designed to be a main course — something to ladle up and present along a bowl of white rice or noodles when weather is chilly outside. This recipe couldn’t be easier: Once the stock is ready, it doesn’t take long to make the soup, just add the ingredients to a large saucepan and heat up. As a bonus, you’ll end up with a flavorful soup and a rich stock for later use.
Ingredient list for Duck and shrimp soup
Serves 2
- 1 duck leg
- 1/2lb (200g) of cooked shrimp
- 1 red onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- A knob (20g) of fresh ginger
- 2 vanilla beans
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 tbsp Szechuan pepper
- 1 bird pepper (optional)
- 10 mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Oil, salt
Cooking instructions
1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Peel the ginger knob and cut into thin strips. Extract the seeds of cardamom pods. Cut the bird pepper into small pieces. Chop the mint. Shell shrimp.
2. In a skillet, fry the duck leg on each side in a little oil: the skin should be golden. Set aside.
3. Drain some fat out of the skillet and sauté onion, garlic and ginger. Add the duck leg, pepper, bird pepper, two vanilla beans, cardamom and cover with water. Cover and simmer for 1:30 (add water if necessary during cooking). Remove the duck leg and the vanilla beans. Allow the stock to cool before storing it in the refrigerator.
4. Shred the meat from the duck leg. Split the vanilla pod and collect the seeds by scraping with a knife. Once the stock is cold, remove as much fat as you can with a ladle, then add shredded duck meat and vanilla seeds.
5. Reheat the soup over low heat and add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Put some shrimp in the bottom of each bowl as well as 1/2 vanilla pod and pour over the hot stock. Sprinkle with mint and serve hot.
