Vietnamese Pho with Duck (the quick version)

It's been dreadfully cold, wet and gray around here lately. This made me all the more thankful to my friend Anna for teaching me how to do one of my favorite restaurant dishes at home. It's simple, easy and healthy, not to mention it tastes divine! Give it a try and you won't be disappointed. Promise.

Ingredients for two:
1 l beef stock
3 cloves
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 generous tablespoon of fish sauce
ca. 4 cm. fresh ginger, sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
ca. 150 gr. rice noodles
one duck breast (without the skin) or ca. 200 gr. of beef steak
bean sprouts
spring onions
Thai basil or fresh coriander
optional: fresh chilies or hot sauce

1. Let your beef stock and the aromatics (everything up to and including the onion) come to a boil over high heat. Turn it down and let it simmer for ca. 45 minutes.
2. When your stock is done and smelling wonderfully fragrant, prepare your rice noodles according to the packet instructions. When they are done make sure to blanch them under cold water.
3. Wash your bean sprouts, pick your herbs off the stems and chop your spring onions. The duck or beef needs to be cut very thinly (it will only be cooked by the hot broth being poured over it). My duck was frozen, so I just defrosted it for a short while and pulled off the skin. It was very easy to cut afterwards.
4. From this point on it is simply a task of assembly. Layer the cold noodles over the meat and pour over the hot (boiling!) soup. The aromatics, except for the onion, can be discarded. Let every person add their own sprouts, herbs and spring onions. I like adding a bit of chili. Enjoy!

Variations: I am sure this would be delicious with halved prawns or sliced fish too. You could also leave the protein out completely.

Merci Anna!

Five Spice Duck Breast

Duck must be my absolute favorite meat. If it is on the menu I will probably go for that before anything else... My sister and I recently went on quite binge, having three tasty duck dishes in less than one week. But I had never actually prepared it myself.

So when I found some marked down at my local grocery store I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to experiment.

Since this was a first try I decided to go for the most simple preparation and the result didn't dissappoint. I will be making this more often now for sure.

All you need is duck breast, five spice and seasonings.

1. Preheat your oven to 200°. Score the skin side of the breast and liberally sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and five spice.
2. Place your duck breast skin side down into a cold frying pan. Turn on the heat to medium high. This way more of the fat in the skin will render out and you will get it more crispy.
3. When the skin has a slightly brown color turn around your breast and sear it on the meat side for about thirty seconds.
4. Flip it back over and place the whole thing into the preheated oven for about four minutes for a medium done duck. If your frying pan has a plastic handle preheat a backing sheet in the oven and transfer your duck to it.
5. Let the duck rest for about five minutes before cutting it.

I served mine with rice and pan fried Chinese kale.