Wild Mallard Ramen with a Wine Pairing

Marjorie’s Wine Pairing

To complement the wild mallard as well as the spiced ramen broth, I would be inclined to keep to a fairly light to medium body, fruit-forward red wine. We have a few options here: Pinot Noir, Beaujolais or even Valpolicella would all work very well. But I would like to go off the beaten track a little bit, so I would recommend The Society’s Austrian Red 2023 (available at The Wine Society). Made from the Zweigelt grape variety, it is juicy and vibrant and its smooth structure will work in harmony with the aromatics and savoury flavour profile of the dish. Austrian reds are worth being explored and this example is an excellent introduction to what the country has to offer. Enjoy!

Wild Mallard Ramen

2 wild mallards  

15ml vegetable oil 

30g salted butter, to baste 

For the spiced salt 

50g Maldon salt 

2 star anise 

6 cloves 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

¼ cinnamon stick  

½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns 

For the braising liquor 

1 lemon grass stalk, split and bruised 

30g ginger, skin on and sliced  

4 garlic cloves, bruised 

3 bay leaves 

1 star anise 

3 cloves 

¼ cinnamon stick  

400ml brown chicken/game stock  

For the broth 

30g Dried Shitake mushrooms 

1 sheet kombu 

750ml Brown chicken/ game stock  

For the duck glaze 

100g honey 

2 star anise 

50ml rice vinegar 

15ml soy sauce 

To finish 

4 soft boiled egg, marinaded in 3 tbsp soy and 1 tbsp crispy chilli oil (for minimum 1hr) 

2 pak choi, leaves separated 

80g fresh shiitake mushrooms  

4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal  

Pickled mooli 

1 tbsp sesame seeds 

400g udon noodles

Method

1. To prepare the duck, remove any residual feathers and the wishbone. Take the legs off leaving the breasts on the crown.  

2. Toast the dried spices and blitz with the salt in a spice grinder until fine. Sprinkle the salt all over the crown and duck legs. Leave for three hours.   

3. After three hours, rinse the duck legs and crown under cold water to wash off any excess salt and pat dry to remove any excess moisture. Score the crown and set aside. 

4. Preheat an oven to 150°C. Pan fry the duck legs until golden brown. Place the legs into a small pan with all the braising liquor ingredients, bring up to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for 2-3 hours. The duck legs will be cooked when the meat is starting to pull away from the bone. Pick the meat and set aside.  

5. Strain the braising liquor and add in the broth ingredients. Heat up the broth to a light simmer and allow to infuse for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

6. For the duck glaze, place everything into a saucepan and bring up to a boil. Boil until the sauce has reduced by one third.  

7. Preheat an oven to 200°C. To cook the crown, place a frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the vegetable oil. Season the duck crown all over including inside the cavity with fine sea salt. Place the crown into the frying pan breast side down to cook the skin all over until a golden brown colour has been achieved. Add in the butter allowing the butter to foam before basting. Put the duck crown into the oven to cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the crown from the oven checking that the breast meat has firmed up but still has a light sponginess to the touch. When probed with a skewer the meat should have a warmth but not be piping hot. Allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes before carving. 

8. To finish, strain the broth and bring to a simmer, cook the noodles and shitake mushrooms. Just before they are done add in the picked leg meat and pak choi. Carve the breasts off the crown, brush with the glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Slice on the diagonal into 5 pieces. 

9. To serve, place the noodles in a bowl. Pour over the broth and place the carved mallard breast, halves of soft boiled egg, pak choi, spring onion, shiitake mushroom and pickled mooli on top before drizzling over some of the reserved egg marinade.