Duck consommé with soba noodles and fresh shitake mushrooms

Duck consomme with soba noodles and fresh shitake mushrooms

This dish is simplicity at its best. Fresh shitake mushrooms pair beautifully with duck. Keeping them whole provides a lovely sculptural element and substance to the dish. Refining the duck stock into consommé highlights the natural beauty of the ingredients, and somehow concentrates and purifies the flavour. I have made this dish a couple of times now. Once I didn’t bother to turn the stock into consommé and it still made for a tasty meal, but I think this extra step makes it a classy dish; with Audrey Hepburn beauty.

Serves 2

750	millilitres  (approx)	duck stock (this works better with a stock of fuller flavour)
2-3		egg whites
8-10		whole, fresh shitake mushrooms
1/2	teaspoon	peanut (or other mildly flavoured nutty) oil, for frying
180	grams	soba noodles

Whisk together your eggwhites and duck stock. Place on a medium heat, stirring regularly till it begins to simmer. Once it starts to simmer, stir constantly. The protein in the egg whites will solidify, drawing in any solids from the stock. This protein will form a pale ‘raft’ on top of your stock. Simmer the mixture for 15-20 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with muslin.

Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles according to the packet directions.

Heat the oil in small pan, and cook the mushrooms.

Divide the noodles and mushrooms between two bowls. Ladle over the duck consommé and serve immediately.