Roast duck lai fun noodle soup
Roast duck from the barbecue shop over silky lai fun rice noodles in a light, clear broth with choi sum — a proper Hong Kong breakfast in ten minutes.
- 20 min
- Serves 2
- Boil
- Easy
Why it suits you: A balanced constitution is in harmony, and as Chushu's heat eases and autumn dryness begins — while Hong Kong stays humid — breakfast should be moistening and easy to digest. There's a folk custom of eating duck at Chushu: it nourishes yin and the stomach and clears deficiency heat; lai fun is smooth and light, and choi sum clears heat. With the fatty skin removed, the broth stays clean.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 10 min- 1Chop the roast duck into pieces and pull off some of the fatty skin. Wash the choi sum and cut into lengths.
- 2Bring the stock, water and ginger to the boil, season with the soy sauce and a pinch of pepper and keep at a gentle simmer.
- 3Cook the lai fun in a separate pan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes until hot and soft, add the choi sum for the last minute, then lift both into bowls.
- 4Ladle over the hot broth, top with the duck, scatter with spring onion and add a few drops of sesame oil.
Cautions
- Roast duck is high in fat and salt, so remove the fatty skin and don't add salt to the broth; if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol, keep it to once a week.
Chef's tips
- Buy duck roasted that day, with crisp skin and tender meat; cook the lai fun in separate water so the broth stays clear.
The TCM view
Duck is sweet, salty and slightly cold, nourishing yin, supporting the stomach and clearing deficiency heat. Lai fun, made from rice, is sweet and neutral and strengthens the spleen; choi sum is sweet and cool, clearing heat and easing the bowels; ginger warms the stomach and tempers the duck's coolness. Together they nourish yin and clear heat without heaviness, suiting Chushu's shift from heat to dryness.
