Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup with Bamboo Shoots (Bun Mang Vit)

Step 1

Soak dried bamboo in water overnight or at least 5 hours to soften. Wash bamboo few times and squeeze out excess water until water runs clear. In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil then add bamboo. Boil for 15 minutes then drain into a colander placed in the sink to discard water. Repeat the boiling until water is clear and no longer yellow. For this particular batch of dried bamboo, I had to do a total of three boilings to get rid of all that yellow water. Drain bamboo and give it a final wash/rinse then drain dry. Cut off any hard stubs and shred (follow the grain) into thin bite-size strips.

Step 2

Roast yellow onions and ginger in oven at 350°F for 40 minutes.

Step 3

In a small skillet, add vegetable oil and heat on medium high. Add shallots and sauté until fragrant. Add garlic next and sauté until fragrant. Add shredded bamboo. Pan-fry and evenly toss in aromatics. Season bamboo with chicken bouillon powder, sea salt and sugar. Set aside.

Step 4

Clean the duck by rubbing ginger, salt and vinegar all over the skin and insides of the duck. Use the abrasive action of the salt to scrub and remove the foul poultry smell. Rinse duck and drain dry.

Step 5

In a large stock pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add duck, yellow onions and sliced ginger. Simmer on medium low and occasionally skim off any foam that rise to the top. After 25 minutes, duck should be cooked. Double check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer duck to an ice bath. Remove whole onions and ginger and discard. Add sautéed bamboo to the stock pot and simmer on medium low for one hour. Season stock  with rock sugar, sea salt and bouillon powder. Once duck is cooled, chop duck into bite-size pieces with a large mallet. Set aside.

Step 6

Cook noodles per package instructions and prepare the vegetables and garnishes.

Step 7

Add vermicelli noodles to the bottom of a bowl. Add a few slices/chunk of duck, ladle in hot broth with bamboo shoots, and garnish bowl with sliced yellow onion, green onions, cilantro, cabbage, mint and coriander. Top bowl with fried shallots and a lemon wedge for squeezing. Serve bowl of duck noodle soup with a side of ginger fish sauce for dipping duck meat.