Steamy Bowl Of Noodles With Poached Duck Egg Scallions And Mushrooms Recipes

STEAMY BOWL OF NOODLES WITH POACHED DUCK EGG, SCALLIONS, AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Make the stock: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season ducks with salt and pepper and place side by side in a roasting pan. Add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to pan. Roast, turning ducks occasionally, until golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Remove meat from 1 duck, slice, and reserve. Transfer duck bones, remaining roasted duck, and vegetables to a stockpot. Place herbs, bay leaf, and peppercorns in cheesecloth, wrap, and tie with kitchen twine. Add to pot along with the sliced ginger and 1 tablespoon salt. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, occasionally skimming foam from the surface, for about 2 hours.
• Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard solids. Season with salt to taste. Let cool completely. Cover, and refrigerate. When stock is cold, skim fat. (Stock can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
• Make the noodles: Whisk together flours and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center, add eggs and water, and lightly beat together with a fork. Gradually draw dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing with the fork until just incorporated. Knead dough by hand on a floured work surface or with a mixer fitted with the dough hook until very smooth and supple, 10 to 15 minutes by hand, 8 to 10 minutes with a mixer. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Divide dough into 4 portions. Feed 1 piece of dough (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic) through a pasta machine's widest setting (#1) twice. Continue to feed dough through ever-finer settings, 2 passes on each setting, until sheet is 1/16 inch thick (#4). If dough is sticking, dust very lightly with flour. Cut sheet into 9-inch-long pieces. Pass each sheet through the fettuccine attachment. Transfer to a lightly oiled wooden drying rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let noodles dry on rack for 45 to 60 minutes.
• Make the soup: Transfer stock to a large saucepan, and bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Add vinegar. Crack 1 egg into a ramekin or cup, then carefully slide egg into the water and cook for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer poached egg to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat.
• Add peas to simmering stock. Cook until bright green and tender, 5 minutes for fresh peas and 2 minutes for frozen. Add noodles. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add reserved duck meat, and heat until warm, about 1 minute. Ladle noodles, peas, and soup into bowls. Place a poached egg on top of each serving, and top with scallions and mushrooms. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.

ALL-PURPOSE SEITAN

Steps:

• Make dough: Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl. Add wet ingredients to the dry, mixing with a fork until blended completely. Transfer dough to a clean, flat surface and knead by hand 10 times. Let rest 3 minutes. Knead 10 to 15 timesmore; let rest 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, in a pot, bring broth ingredients to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover.
• Roll dough into a thick log (about 3 inches wide by 8 inches long). Cut crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick disks and flatten with hands to about 1/4-inch thickness. Add disks to broth, cover, and simmer until the middle of the dough is as firm as the edges, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (If the disks become exposed during cooking, add just enough water to cover. Be sure the broth does not boil; this produces spongy seitan.) Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered, in broth.

CARAMELIZED-SCALLION NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to boil, and salt it well. Cook the Chinese broccoli until tender, about 4 minutes. Scoop the greens out with a skimmer, and dry well. Keep the water boiling.
• Cook the noodles according to the package directions. As soon as they're drained, return them to the empty pot, off heat, and dress them with 6 tablespoons of the caramelized-scallion sauce, or to taste. Season with salt, if desired.
• Divide the noodles into bowls, and top with the Chinese broccoli, the chicken (or whatever protein you choose) and the eggs. Drizzle oyster sauce on the Chinese broccoli, and season the eggs with a few drops of soy sauce. Top with a few pinches of julienne ginger or pickles, and serve immediately.

SOMEN NOODLES WITH POACHED EGG, BOK CHOY AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer.
• Heat vegetable oil in a pot over medium. Add scallion whites and sliced mushrooms, season with salt and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add 3 cups water to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add bok choy and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sesame oil and season to taste with salt. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, cook somen according to package instructions in the simmering water in the saucepan. Using a slotted spoon or spider, divide the noodles among bowls, leaving the simmering water in the saucepan. Crack each egg into its own small bowl, discarding the shells. Swirl the simmering water in the saucepan, creating a vortex by stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, one right after another, and cook over medium-low until the whites are set, about 3 minutes. Transfer eggs to noodle bowls using a slotted spoon.
• Ladle the reserved shiitake broth into the bowls. Top with sliced scallion greens, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.