Soy Braised Duck Ramen

My soy braised duck ramen brings all the flavor with minimal effort from the earthy broth, to umami soy sauce eggs, and tender duck. This post is sponsored by Calphalon. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Beyond Sweet and Savory possible.

Mastering basic knife skills and cooking skills is the foundation to becoming a better cook. Last month, I shared how chiffonading herbs can bring flavor to the final dish. This month, I'm back with Calphalon to share one of my favorite cooking techniques, braising via my soy braised duck ramen. Many people find ramen intimidating to make at home but it's effortless once you know how to make the soy sauce eggs, put together a simple broth, and braise your favorite protein. Braising is great for building flavor by cooking meat slowly over low heat until it becomes tender. Unlike tonkotsu ramen which takes a good 12 hours to extract the milkiness of the bones, my soy braised duck ramen brings all the flavor with minimal effort. It's time to graduate from your instant ramen and learn how to make the ramen basics from scratch!

Tips for Making Ramen Eggs

• Make the ramen eggs the day before. They need to be marinated in the soy sauce for at least 12 hours for the flavor to develop.
• Use eggs right out of the refrigerator so the raw yolk is as cold as possible which prevents it from cooking through.
• Punch a tiny hole in the eggshell before cooking to loosen the egg white from the shell making it easier to peel.
• Use the 7-minute boil method to get the jammiest, barely-cooked yolk with white that’s neither rubbery nor runny. 
• To make the eggs, fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs. Bring it to a boil, ease them in with a slotted spoon, and set a timer for exactly seven minutes. If the water boils vigorously, lower the heat but keep it bubbling.
• When the timer goes off, drain the eggs immediately and dunk them in a large bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process.

After 12 hours in the soy sauce marinade, the soft boiled eggs are ready for topping ramen. Cut into the egg and you’ll find a orange, creamy yolk and the whites impregnated with subtle soy sauce flavor.

How to Make Ramen Broth

Similar to the ramen eggs, I like to make the broth the day before to let the flavor develop. For the ramen broth, I used the duck carcass along with shiitake mushroom and ginger for flavoring and daikon for sweetness. Bring everything to a boil over high heat then lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 1 hour. Once the broth is cool enough to handle, strain it with a fine mesh sieve and discard everything but the shiitake mushroom. Refrigerate the broth in the fridge overnight and remove the layer of fat before reheating it.

Ingredients for Soy Braised Duck

My soy braised duck is inspired by the classic Japanese braised pork belly (buta no kakuni). The duck is simmered in a bath of soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar and flavored with ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon.

• Duck: for this recipe I used a whole duck. I used the carcass for making the broth and saved the duck legs and duck breasts for braising.
• Soy sauce: I used a light/low sodium soy sauce to braise the duck. You can find light/low sodium soy sauce at the Asian grocery stores or online. 
• Mirin: mirin is a Japanese rice wine made from mochi rice that has about 14 percent alcohol and adds a mild sweetness and aroma to the final dish.
• Sake: for this recipe I used cooking sake which serves a different purpose from mirin. Cooking sake is used to tenderize meat, and also to remove unwanted smells and flavors. Cooking sake contains salt so it adds some flavor to the meat.
• Star anise: is commonly used in Asian cooking. Adding whole star anise to soups and braising liquid lends a sweet-licorice-peppery flavor to the the finished dish.

How to Make Soy Braised Duck

Braising is a combination-cooking method that starts with pan searing followed by slow cooking in a liquid until the ingredients become tender. Start by browning the duck legs and breasts over medium-high heat. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, then sear each side of the seasoned meat until golden brown. My Calphalon Premier™ Hard-Anodized Nonstick saute pan delivers even heat distribution without hot spots perfect for creating that beautiful caramelized crust.

The seared duck will go into the braising liquid partially submerged and then cooked covered over a low flame on the stove for 45-60 minutes until tender, 45 minutes for the breast and 60 minutes for the legs. “Low and slow” is the name of the game with braising - low heat, slow cooking. Braising requires a quality heavy pot with a lid to help maintain an even cooking temperature and prevents moisture from escaping. You can also braise using the oven at 325 degrees F. It's been in the high 80s in San Diego so I wasn't too keen on turning on the oven for braising. The Calphalon Premier™ saucepan is perfect for cooking on the stove and can go from stovetop to oven up to 425 degrees F. After braising the duck developed a deep flavor and soft, melty caramelized texture with tender meat that falls off the bones.

What to Serve Ramen With

For a complete bowl of ramen, you need ramen noodles, a few toppings, and a condiment beside the ramen broth, soy sauce eggs, and braised duck that you cooked. Get a quality ramen noodle from your Asian grocery store. I like to cook the ramen noodles right before serving so they don't get soggy. My boys love to eat their ramen with kamakobo, a Japanese fish cake, so I always include them. Bok choy is our go to for greens but feel free to use your favorite like spinach, brocollini, or thinly sliced cabbage. Mushroom especially the shiitake reserved from the ramen broth, corn, bean sprouts, and scallion make great toppings. To finish the ramen, I love a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi while my kids love furikake. Shichimi togarashi is a spice blend consisting of chilli flakes, seaweed, and sesame seeds while furikake is a blend of seaweed, sesame seeds, and seasoning. The options for ramen toppings are endless!

I could hardly wait to slurp up this comforting bowl of duck ramen. The broth gets extra depth of flavor from the shiitake mushroom and soy sauce while the braised duck is tender and caramelized with notes of star anise and cinnamon. The soy sauce eggs bring all the umami while the togarashi adds a kick of heat. It’s pure bliss when everything comes together in one bite. This ramen packs a punch with minimal effort!

For more braising inspiration, check out these recipes: Vietnamese braised pork and eggs in coconut caramel sauce, Asian braised short ribs.